Dead Panic
by Dreamingfox
Summary: Gauron's dead, but he didn't leave without a back-up plan. Welcome to Gauron's Scortched Earth. When the world is falling apart would you ally with your enemy? Rating changed to M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes –

Just an idea I've been kicking around. Let me know what you think.

# # # # #

Golden rays of light shown into the sparse apartment, promising false warmth outside as the bitter winter continued. The bright sun shone in the sky on the rare cloudless day, inviting all out into the cold.

But cold was a relative term. The deserts in Afghanistan were far colder than the temperate winters in Japan, and the cold in Siberian Russia harsher by far. Still, the scarred youth knew that he had to try and dress appropriately for the weather.

Donning his specially tailored school uniform, Sousuke Sagara checked the various hidden firearms to ensure that their safeties were still on and that they hadn't been dislodged. Even after nearly a whole year at Jindai the teachers and staff had yet to accept that he carried guns and other arms to school. Though the other students and the faculty might feel the weapons were impractical, the scarred youth knew better.

The last time he'd been lulled into compliance with the low security standards that Jindai (and Japan as a whole) had Kaname had been kidnapped. He would never let that happen again.

Taking one final glance at the picture of his fallen comrades he offered them a salute, "Ready to go!"

X X X X X

Idle chatter filled the halls of Jindai High School as the myriad of students returned from their mid-term break.

"Morning."

"Morning."

"How was your break?"

"I can't believe you had to spend the entire break here!"

"If you slack off you're going to be held back."

Try as she might, the teal haired girl couldn't help but catch bits and pieces of various conversations as her peers and classmates walked past her. As the Vice President of the Student Council it was her job to ensure that there were no problems, and what better way to do that than to greet her peers with her lovely smile?

"Morning Kaname, you're looking very happy today," a familiar voice called out.

"Morning Kyoko," the taller girl replied.

"Did something happen with Sousuke?" the other girl asked.

"No, no," Kaname replied as she averted her eyes. "Nothing like that; it's our first day back"

"'Our' first day back?" Kyoko teased. "So he's coming back then?"

It was so hard to believe that only a few days had passed since she'd found and dropkicked Sousuke Sagara in the middle of a battlefield. Still, it was all worth it. The usually bright eyed and cheerful girl couldn't help but glow as she smiled, "Yeah."

X X X X X

Twirling red lights illuminated the corridor as sirens blared. Chaos filled the underground base as men and women, some in uniform others half-dressed, ran to and fro, each trying to discover the reason for the alarms and what they were to do in response.

Golden orange bursts filled the corridors as gunfire erupted, casting shadows and dark red blood about the corridor. Soon the sound of screams outnumbered the gunshots, though both decreased until finally only the sirens remained.

X X X X X

After nearly an entire year in Japan, Sousuke Sagara was slowly getting used to living a civilian life. Having spent so much of his life on the battlefield and as a soldier, it had initially been hard for him to adapt and conform to the supposedly easy going and carefree lifestyle that his peers and classmates lived. What came so easily for the others was very hard for him. As a soldier he'd learned to anticipate danger around every corner or with every minor discrepancy in his "normal" activities and routines. His keen senses and reflexes were all that kept him alive despite all the dangerous situations he'd been faced with.

All to bring him back here.

"Sagara!"

"You're back!"

"Sousuke!"

"You're back? I'd have thought there would have been someone complaining that you pulled a gun on them!"

"It's his first day back, give him a break!"

"Hey, remember when we unleashed that bacteria?"

"Don't remind me."

"Don't look at me like that!"

Yes, it was good to be back.

"Welcome back Sousuke, it wasn't the same without you."

Stern but warm eyes greeted the slight teen as the mercenary greeted his most loyal of companions. "It's good to be back Shinji," he returned in his usual monotone.

"Hey, did you see the pictures of Russia's new AS?" the military otaku exclaimed. "It looked so cool – I can't wait to see it in action. They say that some of the new 'Shadow' Zy-98's were used in the DCA incident as were the American's XM9."

"Where did you hear that?"

"It's on the web," the beaming boy replied. "There are some pictures up but you know how the internet is; there are those who think the pictures are doctored and some who think it's a big cover up by the DCA or PLC."

"Right," the scarred teen nodded. "I'd love to see them if you could."

"You haven't seen them?"

"Affirmative, I've been too busy moving and making up for the lessons I missed."

"I've got some pictures on my phone, but"

The sound of a distant explosion silenced the entire class before all eyes turned to the scarred teen.

"Sousuke!" Chidori shouted automatically.

"It wasn't me!" he cried out in his defense.

Suddenly everyone ran towards the windows, each trying to get a better view of what was going on outside.

"Look, it's over there!"

"There's smoke over there too!"

"Should we call the police?"

A chill ran down Sagara's spine as he gazed out the window. Though most of the buildings around the high school were two or three stories tall, Jindai stood well over them, providing the students with a good view of the multitude of smoky pillars that rose up over the neighboring buildings.

His muscles tensed, Sousuke rushed toward Kaname.

Before he could reach her through the throngs of the other students he watched as she picked up her phone. "Hello? You want to speak with Sagara?"

Perplexed, the young soldier took the phone from her. "This is Sagara."

"This is Wraith," the cold, emotionless voice stated. "Something's happened. I've lost contact with command. You need to get Chidori out of there now!"

A loud click told him that conversation was over. Holding onto the phone his dark grey eyes locked with Kaname's blue ones. "We have to get out of here!"

"What's going on?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I've been ordered to take you somewhere safe and secure."

"What's going on?" Shinji asked, the smaller boy appearing out of nowhere.

"What's happening?" Kyoko asked.

"Attention!" a voice called out over the PA system. "There has been an accident close to school grounds. For your safety all students should remain in their homerooms. Class Representatives are to supervise in the absence of homeroom teachers as the staff is securing the grounds. I repeat – All students are to remain in their classrooms."

"I have to stay," said a defiant Kaname. "I have responsibilities here."

The very traits that he'd come to love about her made her hard to deal with at times. Her stubbornness, loyalty, and strong sense of responsibility, while wonderful to follow, made her all the harder to work with at times. This was definitely one of those times.

"Everyone!" Kaname called out with her booming, confident voice. "Please, return to your seats and stay away from the windows."

Most in their class knew better than to cross the headstrong class rep; most being everyone but the scarred mercenary.

"What are you doing Sagara?" the teal haired girl demanded as the boy in question handed her back her phone.

"I'm booby trapping the door," he replied. "It's non-lethal. The weighted net should keep anyone from forcing their way into the room."

"Where the hell does he pull something like that out of?" someone asked idly.

Knowing her as well as he did, Sagara expected her to hit him, but something she'd seen in him had kept her from lashing out. "Just make sure that it won't hurt anyone."

"I think she's finally giving in to him," someone snickered.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," someone else whispered just a bit too loud. "Guess his absence made her realize how much she cares about him."

"Do you really think this is the time for this?"

"Of course; it's not like anything worse than our trip last year is going to happen, right?"

"Yeah, we've already lived through two hijackings – what could be worse?"

The subtle hum of Kaname's cell phone vibrating told him that things were far worse than the others could imagine. Though phones were supposed to be banned, few teachers actually followed through with that rule, allowing their students to carry them into class and even keep them on them so long as they didn't use them during class.

Reaching for the device as it rattled on the desk the scarred youth flipped it open. The unlisted number didn't surprise him, in the least as any of the other Mithril operatives would have been told to use a prepaid phone that they could easily dispose of without fear of being traced, and considering how closely Wraith watched over Kaname it was no surprise that the agent had her number.

"This is Sagara," he said, drawing curious looks from those around him as he ignored the typical Japanese greeting when answering a phone call.

"Get everyone out of there," a husky, unrecognizable voice ordered.

"What's the situation?"

"Biological contagion unleashed," the hidden agent stated. A burst of gunfire interrupted Wraith. "The initial infection occurred less than twelve hours ago. The infected seem to spread the contagion through bodily fluids and attack their victims by biting them.

"Hospitals and military bases were the first to be hit, though how it was delivered is still unknown. It's not limited to just Japan either, several major cities in Asia, Europe and the Americas were hit."

Another burst of gunfire rang out over the phone.

"My position is compromised," Wraith stated. "I've lost contact with everyone else. Keep her phone on you, I can find you and Kaname through the GPS on her phone."

"Affirmative," the young veteran replied just as he heard the signal being terminated.

"What is it?" the teal haired beauty asked as he stuffed her phone into his pocket.

"A biological agent has been unleashed on Tokyo," Sagara replied. Gasps of surprise filled the room as the other students eyed him. "It's not like the last time."

His classmates eyed him skeptically as they recalled the previous incident when the bacteria they'd unleashed consumed any and all synthetic fibers, leaving virtually all of the student body completely naked.

"We're not leaving," Kaname stated resolutely. "Who knows how bad things are out there?"

Several students nodded in agreement.

"We don't even know what we're dealing with. I think it's best if we secure the room, and find out what's going on before we decide what we're going to do."

More students nodded.

"First we'll need to fortify the doors and windows. We'll need someone to check the halls and the street to see if there's any trouble as well," Kaname stated.

"We'll need spotters on the windows," Sagara insisted. "At least six - two for each end of the street and two to focus on the school's entrance."

"Fine," the class representative relented. "Aoi, Soatome, take the east end of the street. Toshi, Yamanaka, the west; and Wantanabe, Hibiki, you two keep an eye on the school gate. Takada, find out who's got internet on their phones and find out what's happening or at least what's being reported. Everyone else help Sagara secure the room."

Students rushed into their positions, each doing what was called of them. Their efficiency was almost remarkable – though they lacked the polish and training of professionals the teens worked well together – testament of Kaname Chidori's leadership skills and the sheer number of times that they had banded together to deal with the many situations that Sagara had put them in.

The sound of the neighboring classes breaking down into chaos reached his keen ears. Rapid footsteps raced down the hallway chasing after hushed voices and heavy breathing, urging the diligent soldier to work all the harder on securing the room.

In a matter of moments the door was barricaded, the windows to the hallway were closed and a wall of desks bound together with cellophane tape stood reinforced them.

"There are riots all over Tokyo," Takada offered as he eyed his phone. "JSDF has been deployed to Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Okinawa – it doesn't look good."

"What's happening out there?" someone asked.

"It's happening all over the world," Takada added. "Rome, London, Moscow, Paris, New York, Chicago, Sydney, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore – it's everywhere. The Americans are mobilizing their troops to deal with it, as are the English, French, Soviets… everyone."

"A coordinated biological strike…" Chidori gasped. "But how?"

"Biological?" someone muttered. "We need hazmat suits!"

Sagara shook his head. "My informant tells me that it's spread through the exchange of bodily fluids, so we don't need hazmat suit."

Kaname nodded as she recovered from her momentarily lapse. As the new President of the Student Council she was the one that the others looked to for guidance and support. Now was not the time for her to crack under the pressure.

"This is a recording" an electronic voice announced as all eyes turned to Kyoko as she held up her cell phone. "We at the 110 emergency line are held up at the moment. If after calling again, we still can't receive your call, please wait and call later."

"We can't let things rattle us," Kaname proclaimed as she shut off her friend's phone. "We've endured so much already, right? We just have to stay focused and not panic and we'll be alright."

The atmosphere in the room became much more sullen and tense as the students waited in silence. There was little else to be done and with their desks and chairs barricading the windows they were forced to sit on the floor or lean against the wall.

"It's not good," Hibiki stated as he stood against the window. Suddenly everyone rushed towards the window as they sought to confirm what the lookout had said. "It looks like there are fires all around the city."

"Yeah," Saotome seconded from the eastern end of the window. "It looks like things are really getting out of control over there."

"It's everywhere," Toshi seconded, drawing several students towards his end of the window.

Only Sagara remained in the center of the room, casting an appraising look at the room. _'Not good,'_ he assessed. _'There's no way out for us if they get through the barricade.'_

"Something's happening at the gate!" proclaimed Hibiki. "Hey! Don't push – I'm trying to see what's happening!"

"Everyone not assigned to lookout duty back away from the windows!" Chidori ordered. "Let the lookouts have room to do their job."

Slowly, hesitantly the students did as told.

"Some of the teachers are rushing back to the grounds," Hibiki stated. With the rest of the class now hanging on his every word the tall lookout purposefully picked his words. "Everyone's fine, though it looks like they've gotten their hands and clothes dirty."

A sigh of relief escaped several students' lips.

"They're trying to close the gates!" the tall lookout announced.

"Something's happening on the east end of the street!" Saotome interrupted.

The sound of a car hitting the wall around the school jarred the students, prompting them to storm the windows once again. The blaring of a car's horn reached the class, sending the students into a frenzy.

"Everybody back!" Chidori cried out as she tried to maintain control of her classmates.

"What's going on?"

"I think a truck hit the wall!"

"Is anyone hurt?"

"What are the teachers doing?"

"You've lost them," Sagara stated as he put a firm hand on Chidori's shoulder.

"I… I…"

"We have to get out of here," he urged her.

"Attention all students and teachers!" the principle's voice called out over the PA system. "Attention all students and teachers! At the present time there was a multi-car accident just off of school grounds. The drivers and their passengers appear to have minor injuries and have begun fighting amongst themselves. All teachers please proceed to secure the school gates! All students stay in your classrooms and follow your teachers' instructions!"

"If we leave what do you think is going to happen?" hissed Kaname as she looked at her peers. "They're going to panic, and then people are going to get hurt!"

"People are going to get hurt regardless," he replied.

"I know you're not concerned about any of them, but I am," she countered. "My duty is to them, and if you're going to help me then you're going to have to help them!"

Despite the hysteria and panic around her Kaname Chidori refused to break. Like a force of nature she changed the atmosphere of the room through her sheer determination alone. "Everybody listen up!" she screamed, silencing her classmates even as she drew their attention and became the focus of their attention. "Stay away from the windows and keep calm! We've been through a lot already and we've pulled through in the end. Just stay calm and everything is going to be alright!"

"Duck!" Saotome shouted.

Her tentative hold over her classmates quickly broke as the two dozen students turned to face the window instead of heading their classmate's advice.

The loud, bright explosion filled the wide window, casting the entire room in an orange glow before shattering the window. Cries of surprise were quickly drowned out by cries of pain as shards of broken glass hit those closest to the window. The force of the blast rocking the entire building and in particular the rooms facing the explosion. Chaos reigned as most of the students fell to the ground clutching at their various wounds and cuts or knocked to the ground by their peers.

Experienced in dealing with explosions, Sagara quickly recovered. A sweeping glance was all he needed to assess the situation before hastily acting. "I'm sorry Kaname."

X X X X X

Klaxons sounded over the sporadic gunfire as the pale lights were drowned out by the circling red of the alarms.

"We need to evacuate," the grey haired veteran stated.

The silver haired girl looked at the displays before her. Reports were coming in from around the world of terrorist attacks and military deployments to quell the outbreaks of some zombie virus, even here on the Tuatha de Danaan there'd been an outbreak.

"Captain!" the gruff commander cried out, startling the young captain.

"Yes, you're right," she hastily agreed. "But"

"If we seal off the aft of the ship we should be able to keep most of the infected contained," the man known as Andrei Sergeivich Kalinin explained. "If we give the order to evacuate we could give the remaining crew a chance."

He was right. It was the only way, but…

"We'll leave a skeleton crew in the bridge," he added.

"I'll stay behind," Mardukas volunteered. "We'll tow the boats as close to land as we can get. I'm sure that the Japanese and Americans are going to be too busy to care about the Toy Box."

"But"

"It's been an honor to serve with you," Mardukas added as he offered her a salute.

All around her the bridge crew stood at attention, each offering her a salute.

Gulping, she nodded. "Give the order to evacuate."

X X X X X

"Run!" Sagara's gruff voice rang in her ears.

Dazed and confused, Kaname Chidori tried to shake the cobwebs out of her head.

The sound of gunfire startled her, though considering that she was with Sagara she really shouldn't have been surprised.

"I'm running out of ammo!"

Something about that statement didn't sound right. It wasn't the statement really, but the voice attached to it. "Why's Shinji got a gun?"

"Chidori," gasped Sagara amidst the sporadic gunfire.

She was suddenly aware of how close he was to her as well as that he was lowering her to the ground, causing her to blush uncontrollably. "What's going on here?"

"We're trying to leave the school," the scarred boy stated once she was on the ground.

She watched as he freed the shotgun from his shoulder, something he couldn't do while holding onto her, before turning and shooting. "I'll give you some cover fire," he stated boldly. "I've got another clip for your gun in my back pocket."

"What's going on here?" she repeated. Looking around she noticed several of her classmates and the bloody bandages that they sported.

"I'm not sure," Shinji replied as he reloaded his rifle. "It's like that game – Biohazard or House of the Dead."

"I'm out!" Ono D proclaimed as he pulled out the spent clip of his rifle.

"Here," Shinji cried as he tossed a full clip at the taller boy.

"House of the Dead?" Kaname muttered.

"They're infected," Kyoko added.

"Kyoko?" the taller girl muttered.

"You're alright?" Kyoko asked.

"We need to move," Sagara proclaimed as he pulled out a grenade. "Fire in the hole!"

Everyone quickly covered their heads and ears just as the grenade detonated.

Her ears ringing, she barely registered the gunfire that cleared the hallway of any further threats.

"What the hell are you doing?" she screamed as she jumped to her feet and swatted at Sagara. Years of military training didn't prevent him from avoiding her harsh slap.

"She's alright," Kyoko grinned.

"Now is not the time for this," Sagara stated as he looked at her with his deep brown eyes. "We're still in danger."

A glance at the shirtless boy as well as at her bloody classmates seemed to confirm what he said, but he always seemed to blow things out of proportion, right?

"He's right," Kyoko said as she grabbed her friend's hand. "If it weren't for him we wouldn't have made it this far."

Again Kaname looked around at the others. "Wait, where are the others?"

"We lost most of them when the first wave of zo-… of them attacked the classroom." Try as he might even the usually unflappable Ono couldn't call their attackers zombies. "Half of the class was hurt by the explosion, and the barricade we put up barely bought us time to get even half of us out of the classroom."

"How did we get out?" Kaname asked.

"Sagara had a rope and some guns," Kyoko explained. "At first we heard the screams, then more and more zombies came to the school. We heard other classes getting attacked, then they attacked our class. Most of us were able to climb down to the awning, but it could only support the weight of two or three people at a time. Once the zombies got to our room those still in the room panicked. The awning collapsed, taking most of the class."

"I managed to swing the rope over to what was left of the awning," Ono stated.

"We made it to the administrative building, but since then we've been running into more and more of them," the petite girl explained. "We've lost a few here and there…"

"And picked up a few survivors," added Issei as he tried to lighten the mood.

Kaname could only nod as she looked at the handful of survivors. Of her class of 31 students only ten remained, another seven students filled out their ranks. "What's the plan?"

"We're going to try to make it to the teacher parking lot," Sagara explained. "We stopped in the teacher's lounge and offices to get their keys. Hopefully the street behind the school is clear."

Overwhelmed by everything that had happened, Kaname simply nodded.

"At least you won't go down in history as the worst Student Body President ever," Kyoko suggested.

"Yeah," Kaname muttered. "I'll just be the last President our school is going to have. This just had to go down on my watch."

Moving with years of training backing him, Sagara advanced around the corner while Shinji kept watch and Ono covered their flank. Reaching the next corner, Sagara scanned for threats. Seeing none he pressed himself against the wall and signaled to Shinji.

"They look like they've been doing this a while," the usually near-sighted Issei remarked. Normally he wouldn't have noticed, but today the karateka actually had his glasses on.

"They're both military otaku," Kaname joked. Though Shinji didn't look the type, he was a military brat. More than likely he'd been drilled by his father or at least managed to pick up something from his father's military background. Sagara though was another thing altogether.

"Clear," Shinji announced as he waved for several girls to move up to where Sagara was positioned.

Kaname watched as half of their remaining number advanced, following the Mithril operative as he took point. Once the first group reached the scarred boy Shinji ushered the rest forward.

"The assistant principals' offices," she muttered as she realized just where they were.

The once bright hallway was full of bloody smears, the grisly reminders of what had transpired.

Around her the other students rushed towards the end of the hall and the exit of the building. The glass doors had been shattered, bloody handprints marred the polished metal finish of the doorways.

Suddenly a door opened, catching the three gunmen off guard as Sagara eyed the exposed entrance, Ono watched their flanks, and Shinji was on the other side of the hallway with several girls between him and the bloody figure.

"No!" Akira, the budding basketball star of the class cried out as the figure tackled her to the ground. "Get off me!"

Before anyone could respond her attacker struck, biting down on her neck and cutting off her screams.

A firm hand kept Kaname from jumping to her classmate's rescue, prompting her to turn around. She was surprised to see that it was Kyoko clinging to her even as Shinji calmly walked over to the grisly scene. Extracting a large knife he carefully jammed it into Assistant Principal Fuji's head.

"P-please," Akira gasped even as her attacker twitched.

"Go," Ono ordered. "We're already spread thin."

Powerless, Kaname allowed herself to be dragged off as Ono assumed Shinji's post, allowing the Arm Slave otaku to quickly put Akira out of her misery.

The group reached the parking lot with no further fanfare, though grim reminders dotted the way. The brief respite allowed Shinji to relieve himself of his breakfast, though Kaname couldn't help but feel a slight bit of satisfaction at watching him in pain.

Standing on top of a small mini-van Sagara kept watch. With the most combat experience of them all it didn't surprise her that he was unfazed by the graphic violence around them. Though she'd seen her share of battlefields, things had been different for her. The soldiers that fought had always been nameless faces in the crowd, the dead here were people she'd seen on a daily basis. While she didn't always enjoy interacting with them, they were a regular part of her life. Knowing that they weren't going to be there tomorrow though… well, that information seemed to turn her stomach.

"Got it," Mizuki cried out triumphantly as she opened the driver's side door of the mini-van. "This should fit all of us!"

"Hurry," Sagara urged them as he kept his eyes fixed on the school.

Mizuki was right, it would fit all of them, though they were extremely cramped. It didn't help that Sagara, Ono, and Shinji needed spaces by the windows and for their guns.

The sound of the motor revving seemed to catch the attention of the handful of zombies that shambled out of the school. Rather than wasting bullets Sagara ordered the gunmen to focus only on the ones that were in their path or that were an immediate threat.

"Where to?" Mizuki asked as she exited the parking lot and pulled onto the nearly vacant street.

"To my apartment," Sagara answered. "I've got enough weapons and rations to last us a few days and the building is very secure."

X X X X X

A/N

If you've read HSotD you'll notice that the zombies here are very different. These zombies are capable of seeing, smelling, and hearing rather than just hearing. That's a distinction that is going to be important. 'Them' are more akin to 'Walkers' in that they have rudimentary skills and can use weapons/tools, i.e. using a rock to help break a window, opening doors, etc., and will feed on anything not just humans.

After much debate, I've opted not to include the HSotD crew. With these zombies they wouldn't have made it out of the high school unscathed. I'm tempted, sorely tempted, but if I do cross over anything it'll be a cast like Ai Yori Aoshi or some ordinary kids.

Been rereading HSotD and noticing some inconsistencies. When Takashi gets Rei, both Kotha and Saya are in the same homeroom as Rei and Hisashi, and he doesn't say anything to them. Sure, Kotha is acceptable as he barely knows him, but Saya, a childhood friend?

How did "Them" get upstairs so quickly? The announcement goes over the PA and then the students make a run for it, but when Takashi, Rei, and Hisashi head to the administrative building they encounter an infected teacher. Plus, when they head to the roof they encounter more of "Them". Yet when they come back down there aren't as many of "Them" in the hallways until they get to the nurse's office.

Please review.

Dreamingfox


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes –

I guess no one reads FMP fiction anymore…

Here I am, watching the Tekken Movie on G4, and I just can't get past the movie's intro. I know that most people don't care about plot/story when dealing with fighting games, but seriously? They completely mangled the Tekken (game) cannon. The fighting's good, but I've seen better. The plot is just, eh… I find myself switching back to NCIS and only tuning in for the fights.

Why Tekken doesn't suck – Fights to the death, girls in spandex… Okay, I'm hooked.

* * *

><p>The long, sleepless night he'd endured had prompted him to skip homeroom in hopes of catching some additional shut-eye, but the scene he'd witnessed at the school gate had changed everything. A surge of adrenaline helped him push the wiriness out of his mind and body, replacing them with focus and clarity. <em>'Rei, I have to get to Rei!'<em>

"Komuro ! What do you think you're doing? First it's skipping class and now interrupting my class!"

Takashi barely registered his former homeroom teacher's words as he barged into class 2-D's homeroom. "Rei, you have to come with me!"

The urgency in his voice wasn't lost on the younger students, several of which snickered and a few who joked that he was going to confess to her.

"What's going on?" his former best friend and classmate demanded as he stood between Rei and Takashi.

By now a third of the class was standing, most because they wanted a view of the show, others because they wanted to give the two boys room in case something physical was going to happen. Though Rei and Hisashi were both new to the class everyone knew who they were. The pair were the only seventeen year olds to not become third years, though speculation as to why had been unconfirmed everyone knew that the two were an item.

"Something happened outside," Takashi whispered as he locked eyes with the taller Hisashi. "There was an incident with a killer at the front gate."

"Are you serious? What happened?"

"I don't know for sure," the senior replied. "But what do I have to gain by lying to you like this?"

Years of friendship did what words couldn't as Hisashi relented.

"What are you two saying?" Rei demanded.

"Not now," Hisashi interrupted. "Just listen to what I have to say. Something bad happened at the front gate. If you want to stay alive, we'll have to run away."

"Something at the gate?" the ever astute Saya repeated.

He'd barely noticed her there before, but Takahashi glanced at her before returning his attention to Rei. "There was someone at the front gate, and some teachers went to see what was going on…

"Then something happened, and now… they're all dead."

"That's such a ridiculous"

"Fine!" he shouted, cutting Rei short. "Go and get yourself killed if you want to go check it out!"

"We should go," the puggy Kohta suggested. "This isn't the place to talk."

Takashi blinked. _'I just wanted to get Rei.'_

By now the students around them were very curious, some looking out the window despite Mr. Shido's attempts to get the class back under control.

"Sorry Mr. Shido," Hisashi apologized even as he ushred Takashi out of the room with Kohta's assistance. "Komuro's not feeling well. I think he's got a fever."

"Take him to Miss Makirawa's office," the well-dressed teacher ordered as he turned his attention back to the rest of the class. "That's what you get for sleeping on the roof during winter."

Following Hisashi's lead, Takashi allowed his friends to guide him out into the hallway and close the door to the classroom.

"We should get out of here," he urged.

"Hold up," the ever cool Hisashi said as he opened a closet. "If your story is true then we need these."

"Broom handles and bats?" Kotha remarked as he eyed the assortment of wooden weapons.

"What about you?" Takashi asked.

"I have a black belt in karate so I'll be fine with my fists," the second year junior assured them. "In any case, let's get out of the school."

"First of all, we need to call the police!" Rei proclaimed. "My dad's a detective, so he'll come right away!"

"I can't believe you didn't think of that sooner," Saya sighed. Though weaponless, the petit yet busty pinkette shook her head disapprovingly at the boys.

Reaching into his pocket Takashi extracted his phone, offering it to Rei. "Here, give it a shot."

Glad to finally have some say in what they were doing, Rei hastily accepted, dialing the number before putting the device to her ear. Expectantly the others watched and waited.

"No way…"

"What's the matter?" Hisashi asked as he noted that his girlfriend was trembling.

Seeing that Rei was effectively frozen, Saya quickly plucked the phone out of the older girl's hand before pressing down a button to turn on the speaker function.

"…Repeat. This is a recording. We at the 110 emergency line are held up at the moment. If after calling again, we still can't receive your call, please wait and call again later."

"Wow," gasped Saya. "There must be a lot of people calling 110…"

"I repeat. This is a recording"

Ending the call, Saya hit redial before putting the phone on speaker once again.

"I'm sorry," the electronically recorded voice apologized. "Due to the number of emergencies we at the 110 emergency line are held up at the moment. If after calling again we still can't receive your call, please wait and call again later. I repeat. This is a recording."

Again she ended the call before handing Takashi back his phone. "So what do we do now?"

"Attention all students and teachers!" the PA cut in suddenly. "At the present time, there is a violent struggle occurring on the premises. Students stay with your teachers and follow their instructions!"

The quintet looked up at the speakers, unsure of what they were to do.

"I repeat! Students stay with your teachers and…"

The audible pause allowed them to hear the confused chatter from the classrooms around them.

"I wonder if it has anything to do what what Takashi was talking about?"

"No way!"

"A murderer at school?"

"Quiet!"

"No!" the voice on the PA cried out. "NO!"

An audible hush filled the school as everyone listened to the still live PA.

"Somebody please help!" the speaker pleaded. "STOP!"

The sound of the microphone hitting the floor jarred the listeners even as the atmosphere in the school grew tenser by the second.

"OW! That hurts!"

"This way!" Takashi ordered as he lead the others down the hallway.

"Shouldn't we try to get out?" Rei objected as she glanced towards the stairwell."

"The classroom building is full of people trying to get out!" Saya stated. "We're going to escape through the administration building!"

Takashi nodded in confirmation as he led the others. Behind them students were bursting out of their classrooms in a mad rush for the stairwell they'd just passed.

Turning the corner they quickly lost sight of the hordes of students fighting to be first to the stairs. Though the other students were out of sight they could still hear their cries and screams as students began pushing and fighting to get to the doors.

Rushing past the empty classrooms on the third floor they turned another corner only to slow down as a figure approached them.

"Is he going to stop us?" Rei asked between breaths.

A second rush of adrenaline sent Takashi's heart pounding as he noted the bloody footprint the approaching figure left as the teacher hobbled towards them with a noticeable limp.

"Run!"

* * *

><p>"Attention all students and teachers! At the present time, there is a violent struggle occurring on the premises. Students stay with your teachers and follow their instructions!"<p>

Saeko Busujima could feel her heart pounding in her breast as she and her classmates listened to the announcement.

"I repeat! Students stay with your teachers and…"

All around her the others froze. Just like her they were fixated on the attendant's voice.

"No!" the voice on the PA cried out. "NO!"

An audible hush filled the school as everyone listened to the still live PA.

"Somebody please help!" the speaker pleaded. "STOP!"

The sound of the microphone hitting the floor jarred the listeners even as the atmosphere in the school grew tenser by the second.

"OW! That hurts!"

Panic consumed the others as evidenced by the mad dash that her peers made as the sought to escape the same fate that the school's attendant endured.

Calm and collected, the president of the kendo club avoided the chaos and turmoil at the door. She knew that her words would have fallen on deaf ears. Already the logjam at the door caused those behind them to kick and hit those before them.

As quickly as it started it was over as the remaining students crashed through the hallway windows, ignoring everything in their efforts to flee. Several were knocked to the floor only to be trampled upon by the others, some causing others to fall to the ground as well.

She could hear the chaos in the halls as her fellow students pushed and fought in the halls. Screams and shouting drowned out the PA system, not that anyone seemed to care.

With her way virtually unimpeded, Saeko grabbed her bokken before exiting the classroom.

"Help me!"

Looking down she eyed the broken body on the ground. The small boy before her had been in her class. It looked bad, very bad. His right arm was bent at an impossible angle, and there were over a dozen footprints on his back.

"Kenji Nakajima," she called out his name. "It looks like your arm's broken."

She glanced around, examining the hallway. There were others laying on the ground, over a dozen at least. Though the rest appeared to be unconscious at the least.

"We should get you to the doctor's office," she finally said.

Kenji pushed himself off of the ground with his good arm, "Yeah."

Rather than rushing for the stairs, the pair made their way towards the administrative wing and the doctor's office.

"It doesn't look like anyone came this way," she stated as she lead the way. Licking her lips, she felt her heart pound as she heard the screams coming up from the stairwell. If the lower floors were anything like this floor than the stair were probably a death trap as the entire student body rushed to escape the building. By now they were probably fighting and pushing on the ground floor, those who made it that far at least. From the looks of things at least a third of the students had been trampled just leaving their classrooms. Who knew how many more had fallen at the stairwells.

Just as she'd suspected the administrative building was empty. Few of her peers had the foresight to take the longer and less crowded path out of the building rather than risking their lives in the human stampede. "Just a little further," she said as she glanced at the pale boy. "Does it hurt?"

Gritting his teeth, Kenji shook his head.

"NO!" someone cried out before them.

"It must be the killer!" Kenji exclaimed. "He must have gotten into the administrative building!"

Now that she thought about it that did make sense. The school attendant was in the administrative building and from the sounds of the last broadcast the killer had attacked the attendant. Maybe running to the administrative building hadn't been the smartest thing.

Cautiously she led Kenji down the stairs to the second floor.

"NO! Someone, please help me!"

Turning the corner Saeko quickly assessed the situation. An injured girl, a first year by the look of her outfit, was beset upon by a handful of assailants. "Let her go!"

Only the closest of assailants seemed to take notice of her, turning his head to look at her. The others continued to walk, no, limp towards the girl. Thinking nothing of their apparent injuries, Saeko charged the group.

The hard wooden weapon in her hands connected with a sickening thud, unleashing a spray of blood as she caved in the man's head.

"Let me go!" one of the girls cried. "AHH!"

The large man held her firmly, sinking his teeth into her calf even as his victim kicked him repeatedly in an attempt to free herself.

Trusting in her skills, Saeko moved onto the next closest assailant, a swift blow to his ribs then to his arm, both breaking bone though the second knocking the man over. Pain was often incentive enough to discourage a pervert from attacking, but clearly these men were crazed.

A third attacker went down with a blow to the back of his head, cracking his skull. Moving on she bashed the head of the last attacker, allowing the first year to escape his grasp.

"Thank you," the hysterical girl gasped.

Taking a deep breath, she surveyed the hallway.

"You'll need to get that looked at," Saeko stated as the first year scrambled to her feet. "Come on, we're going there ourselves."

* * *

><p>"Run!"<p>

The loud shout drew the hobbling figure's attention, prompting it to shuffle its feet all the faster as it rushed them.

Years of training failed to save Hisashi as the taller boy reflexively sought to shift his feet before delivering a straight punch. The moment's hesitation threw off his aim, his punch connecting with the bloody killer's chest rather than his sternum.

Undeterred by the punch, the attacker rolled with the force of the blow before latching onto the karateka's arm, sinking his teeth into the second year's flesh.

"Arh!"

"Hisashi!" Rei shouted, forgetting her own safety as she rushed to save her boyfriend. Only Saya's hand on her arm kept the buxom brunette from reaching him first.

With the tiny window provided to him, Takashi reacted, bashing the attacker's leg and knocking him off of his feet. Blood sprayed the hallway as the killer ripped out a chunk of Hisashi's arm before falling to the ground. With Hisashi free of their attacker, Takashi was now free to swing for the fences. The sickening sound of dense bone breaking forcefully filled the hallway just as a second spray of blood erupted.

"Hisashi!" Discarding her weapon, Rei rushed over to Hisashi.

"Use this," Saya suggested as she pulled out a handkerchief. "Shit! It's not enough!"

"Here," Takashi said as he handed the bat to Rei. His hands free, he quickly unbuttoned his shirt and slipped out of it before ripping it in half. Using a sleeve, he wrapped it around the other boy's bloody arm then wrapped it tight.

"Thanks."

"You should get it looked at," Saya suggested.

"What about the killer?" Rei objected.

"Takashi just took care of him." Offering a weak smile, Hisashi fought throught he pain. "I probably should have it looked at. Maybe he had rabies, that's why he wanted to take a bite out of me."

"Or high on drugs," Saya quipped. "Good thing we're already in the administrative building."

Leaving Rei to assist Hisashi, Takashi led the way. Grateful to have the others' focus off of him he tried to stay calm. 'I just killed someone. I can't believe I just killed someone.'

"Here." Saya's voice nearly caused him to jump as the pinkette appeared at his side. "You alright?"

The feel of the rubber grip in his hand did little to sooth his nerves. He wanted to throw it out the window, to never see it again, but he knew he couldn't let it go. He hated lying to her, but what was he to do? "Yeah."

* * *

><p>Nursing, it had always seemed to be a good career choice. She loved helping people, but with her scores she'd been regulated to school nurse. Yes, the hours were much better and consistent than what her fellow graduates endured, but there really wasn't as much for her to do as a school nurse.<p>

A typical morning consisted of her dealing with the multitude of horny teenage boys as they either sought to skip class and/or hit on her. But today was anything but typical as the previous broadcast indicated. For once Shizuka was dealing with something other than delinquent boys.

"It hurts!"

"I think my arm's broken!"

"AAHH!"

Scurrying around the normally vacant room, the buxom nurse scrambled for the necessary medical supplies. "Put this on the wound," she instructed, hoping that someone who could get around would be able to help. "Make sure you're wearing gloves if you're dealing with a bloody wound."

For once all the beds in the office were occupied, most with more than two students. The human stampede that followed the broadcast was to blame. The number of injured was actually more than her office could contain.

The first injuries were simple bruises, though a good number of sprains and even a dislocated shoulder had appeared. Then came a handful of concussions, the more serious ones demanding the use of the handful of beds as the still unconscious students needed to be evaluated.

With the number of injured piling up, Shizuka barely had time to examine the injured, much less address every injury that came in. "Concussions over by the bed, lacerations by the window, everything else stay by the door."

"Um, okay," the new arrival replied. "What would a bite be considered?"

"Are you bleeding?" she asked, not even bothering to check the student over.

"Yes."

"Lacerations," she clarified. "Busujima has the iodine and gauze, make sure you clean the wound. And use gloves!"

"That's the fifth bite wound," Saeko remarked as she eyed the new arrival, a second year boy. "Where?"

The boy held up his left hand. "He just came at me out of nowhere."

"Where?"

Again he held up his hand.

"Where in the school?" she clarified as she dabbed at his wound with a cotton ball soaked in iodine.

"First floor, Tenkawa-sensei's room," he replied. "There were a few of them, they broke the window and were trying to force their way inside. One of them bit me, but I got away."

"Concussions over by the bed, lacerations by the window, everything else stay by the door."

"Have a seat," Saeko instructed. "Megumi has the gauze pads."

"Okay."

"Busujima."

Reflexively she looked up. The group of four wasn't unknown to her, three of them actually lived close to her. "Takahashi? What are you doing here?"

"Hisashi's hurt," he explained. "He was bitten by the killer."

"You saw the killer?" the kendoka asked. "That's impossible, I saw them. Well, I saw a few of them actually."

"There's more than one?" the brainy pinkette interjected.

"Apparently, though I'm not sure if they're together or not," Saeko replied as Rei removed the bindings on Hisashi's arm.

Saya nodded. "It's possible that the chaos has just made everyone go mad. Just look at all the injuries."

"Where were you attacked?" Saeko asked as she eyed Hisashi's wound.

"The administrative building," Hisashi replied weakly.

"Throw those in here," Saeko directed Rei. "How much blood have you lost?"

"Not sure," Hisashi replied shakily. "But I am feeling… a little lightheaded."

Placing her hand on his forehead, Rei scowled. "You've got a fever. Maybe you're right, he was probably sick and whatever he had he's passed onto you."

"Miss Marikawa!" one of the other students cried out. "It's Misa – she's lost consciousness!"

Rushing over to them, the buxom nurse examined the injured girl. "She's burning up!"

"Can't you do anything for her?" Saya asked as she watched on.

"We don't have any acetaminophen or antipyretic left," the nurse replied. "All the blankets are being used, and there's no ice left."

Unable to do anything else for the boy, she turned to the other students. "Continue to monitor them, I've got a broken arm to set."

Groans and moans filled the room. All around him the injured were trying to gather themselves, none of them sure of what exactly was going on.

"We're the only ones not injured," Saya stated.

Takashi nodded. "I can't believe how bad it was out there."

Leaving Rei to tend to Hisashi, Saeko opted to join them. "We were attacked on the second floor of the Administrative building. I found Kenji" she leaned her head to the side to indicate that he was with another group "and we stumbled upon her. She was being attacked by a group of men. I dispatched them, but not before she was bitten."

'She's had to kill someone too,' mused Takahashi. "Is there any water?"

"To drink or wash up?" Saeko asked.

"Drink."

"I've got a bottle just for drinking," the kendoka stated as she reached for her bag. "If you don't mind that I've already drank out of it."

"That's fine," he replied with a forced smile.

Reaching into her bag she extracted the large plastic bottle. Unlike most of their peers Saeko owned an actual bottle rather than just buying pre-bottled water. "Here."

The lukewarm water felt refreshing, quenching his thirst and calming his frayed nerves. "Thanks."

For a moment he allowed himself to relax.

"She's stopped breathing!" the girl tending to Misa cried out.

The peaceful interlude gone, Takashi fixed his gaze on the pale girl on the floor. Reaching out he grabbed the bloody bat even as everyone else focused on the first year.

Shocked by the recent turn of events, the others froze, unsure what to do. After what seemed like an eternity, the nurse called out, "Check her pulse. I've got to set this arm."

Tentatively, the other first year grabbed Misa's arm, attempting to find some sign of life in the still body beneath her. For a few frantic seconds she moved her fingers up and down the other girl's forearm and wrist. "I can't feel anything."

"Listen for her heartbeat," Saya suggested.

Gulping, the girl lowered her head to the other girl's breast, placing her left ear to Misa's still chest.

Suddenly Misa's eyes opened, startling the others. Her caretaker was caught unprepared as she still sought to listen for a heartbeat. Slender arms wrapped around the girl, pulling her to Misa before Misa sunk her teeth into the back of the girl's neck.

In a flash he struck, pushing past the startled spectators before swinging the bat and connecting with the side of her head.

"Takashi!" Rei cried out still not comprehending what had happened. "What are you doing?"

"She was attacking her," Saeko explained.

"Why?" the now hysterical first year cried out as she touched her bloody neck. "Why would she do that to me?"

"It's going to be alright," Saya lied. "Why don't we get you cleaned up?"

* * *

><p>AN

I think I'll leave things there for now.

Dreamingfox


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes –

I guess no one reads FMP fiction anymore…

* * *

><p>Broken glass and overturned cars filled the streets making the road all the more treacherous for the Jindai survivors. Chaos filled Tokyo as pillars of smoke breached the skyline. Dead bodies, both the truly dead and the walking dead, filled the streets.<p>

The sound of another body bouncing off of the van's grill and bumper sent a shiver down Kaname's spine.

"We need to gas up." The usually perky and energetic Mizuki appeared frazzled and strained as she concentrated on the road ahead. As the only student with a valid driver's license she'd been the natural pick to drive. The far from ideal road conditions and hordes of walking dead made the ride through the city was far from enjoyable and leisurely.

"Take a right at the next intersection," Sagara directed as he eyed the road ahead. "There's a gas station half a kilometer down the road."

Mizuki nodded.

BOOM!

The sudden explosion startled everyone as the van swerved.

"Watch out for the car!" Ono D shouted as he pointed at the wreck before them.

Opting to slam on the brakes instead of trying to fight for control of the car, Mizuki tensed even as the van rushed towards the burning Honda before them. The sound of metal impacting metal greeted their ears as the van collided with the smaller vehicle.

Even Sagara was rattled by the impact, though the veteran soldier quickly shook off the disorientation. Unbuckling his seatbelt he forced his way out of the now shattered passenger side window. "Not good," he assessed. "It seems that we can no longer use this vehicle."

"What makes you say that?" Ono D asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he picked up his rifle.

"The front tire has blown," the scarred boy explained.

"Is everyone alright?" Kaname asked even as she made sure that she wasn't injured as well.

"I'm alright," Issei stated.

"Then you better get your hand off my ass!" one of the girls shouted from the backseat.

"Tomoyo's hurt," another girl stated. "She wasn't buckled… I think she's unconscious."

"Everyone out of the van!" Sagara ordered. "We've got hostiles at 3 and 10."

"Three and ten?" one of the girls from the other class exclaimed in her confusion.

"Straight right and slightly to the left," Shinji explained as he turned to his right. "Five, no six of them at least."

"I count at least a dozen from our left," Ono added.

"The door's stuck!" Kyoko proclaimed as she tried to force the sliding door open.

Panicked Mizuki tried to open her driver side door. "Mine's fine," she exclaimed as she slipped out of the van.

"Try the lock!" another girl cried out.

Gunfire erupted inside the van as Ono shot out his broken window, hitting one of the walking dead in the chest. With the window shattered, the athletic boy opted to kick the window out even as the others scrambled towards the driver's side door.

Several more shots filled the air as Sagara sniped at the walkers on their right, clean shots to the head that dropped each of the threats.

"There's more," he stated. "Another pack at our 4 and a larger group from our 6."

With great effort Ono kicked out the window, leaving only shards in the frame, allowing the others to crawl out of the window.

"This way!" Sagara ordered as he cleared a path for them.

"What about Tomoyo?" Kaname asked as she eyed the unconscious girl still in the van.

"I'll get her," Ono replied. As one of the few still in the vehicle he was in the best position to get her out. Exchanging a knowing look with Sagara, the class pervert nodded before handing his rifle to Shinji. "Cover me."

"I'm only holding onto this until you catch up," Shinji stated as he ran on top of another car.

"Take this," Sagara ordered as he handed the valiant boy a revolver. "Five shots."

Dumbfounded, Kaname watched as Shinji and Sagara escorted the others away from the van, leaving Ono carry the still unconscious Tomoyo inside the soon to be abandoned vehicle.

"We have to go," Kyoko pleaded, pulling at her friend's arm as the horde of walking dead continued to advance on the still running van.

Climbing atop yet another car the seemingly docile boy scanned the street. From his vantage point Shinji started to fire, picking off most of the advancing dead with skillful headshots.

"Go," Sagara ordered as he replaced Shinji. "Take point, you know your way to my apartment, right?"

"Yeah," the smaller boy replied hesitantly. With one final look back he again nodded at Ono as the boy struggled to get his charge into the front seat.

"We can't leave them," Kaname pleaded.

"I'll do what I can," Sagara replied as he took aim with his handgun. "Go! Now!"

Car alarms sounded, blending in with the gunfire as Shinji took the lead, climbing atop cars for a better view of the road ahead and cleared the way for the others. "This way!"

Slipping past the unconscious girl, Ono lifted her to his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"Come on!" one of the other girls cried out as she rounded an overturned car and glanced back at the two.

Gunfire drowned out the other cries of encouragement as Sagara and Shinji opened a path for the retreating students.

'_We're going to make it_,' Kaname thought as she scanned the area. '_We're going to make it!_'

Suddenly an arm reached out from an overturned car, grasping at and catching hold of Tomoyo's long hair. His momentum abruptly halted, Ono stumbled to the ground, spilling his passenger as he did so.

"No!" gasped Kaname. "Get up!"

"Go!" Ono shouted as he staggered to his feet. Fierce brown eyes locked with cool calculating ones, "GO!"

Shifting his gun to his left hand, Sagara stood, offering the valiant boy a salute before turning away.

"We can't leave them!" Kaname objected.

"They're too far back," Sagara's gravelly, cold voice stated. "He's injured, and even without Tomoyo slowing him down he wouldn't make it past the ones swarming in on them. If anyone were to try and save them they'd only be committing suicide."

Kaname refused to give up. "You've got guns; use them!"

For a moment his cold eyes turned to her. Unflinchingly he glared at her then back at Ono and the horde of walking dead. "I have," he replied as he pulled the trigger. The gun simply clicked, the rounds in the clip completely spent. "You can watch them die, but I will not allow you to go join them. I will keep you safe even if you end up hating me."

She knew he was right, just like that time in he'd revealed to her that he was a soldier and could pilot an Arm Slave. Relenting, Kaname allowed him to drag her off, leading her off of the car and down the road.

The horde of walking dead slowly closed on them, shuffling their hobbled feet as best they could in pursuit of the Jindai students.

Panting, Shinji led the way, climbing atop of cars before picking off the closest threats as they moved down the street. Gun in hand Sagara covered their retreat, picking off as many of the threats as necessary while also trying to keep from depleting the rapidly diminishing ammo.

"Keep the gun," he ordered Shinji as the smaller boy fired his final round. Rifle in hand, Sagara rushed past the other boy, smashing the butt of his weapon against the face of a walker. "Fire in the hole!"

Ducking behind a car Kaname grit her teeth as Sagara tossed a grenade into the crowd of walkers before them.

Her ears ringing, she still managed to hear a single loud shot echoed off of the buildings.

"One," Kaname muttered as she picked up a broken pipe. With both Sagara and Shinji out of ammo she'd quickly deduced who was firing.

Behind her several other students did the same, arming themselves with whatever they could as they ran.

"Two." Pipe in hand she bashed in the skull of a walker as it rounded the car before her. "Three."

Armed with a tire wrench Issei skillfully eliminated two more walkers.

Two shots in quick succession reached her ears. Fighting back tears, Kaname focused on the task at hand. Following Sagara she watched as he used the butt of his gun to knock another walker off its feet. With so many closing in on them he didn't bother to confirm the kill, resorting to rushing out of its reach and keeping them from moving around.

"Ah!" one of the girls cried out. "No, NO!"

Spinning around, Kaname watched as two walkers wrestled one of her remaining classmates to the ground, her screams cut off as her throat was crushed.

No one ran to her aid, no one had the time to spare as the horde closed in on them.

"Help!"

"NO!"

"Help me!"

"AHH!"

Screams filled the air as more and more of them fell. Yet for each of them that did fall, fewer and fewer of the walking dead rushed the survivors as they appeared to choose to feed rather than giving chase.

"This way!" Issei urged the others as he knocked away a walker's hand before sweeping it off its feet. Springing out of its reach he slammed the tire iron into its skull.

Running around the remaining walkers the group, or at least those who remained, rushed down the street.

"I really should have gotten better shoes," Kyoko griped.

"That's what you girls get for buying fashionable shoes rather than practical ones," Shinji joked. "My dad always said that it's impractical to designate a pair of shoes for just indoor use. It's best to have a pair that you can wear inside or out because you never know when you're going to have to run outside and won't have time to change your shoes."

"Spoken like a true military brat," the pigtailed girl teased.

"I got mine because they're good in a fight," boasted Issei. "I have the same type of shoes in my locker."

"I find that combat boots are ill-suited for concrete," Sagara stated. "Yes, they're durable, but they do not absorb the impact from running on concrete."

Their idle chatter seemed to relieve the tension of their situation. While it didn't change the fact that they were jogging away from the walking dead, it did make the situation seem less extraordinary. It was far easier to talk about the practicality of shoes then to think of those who had just died at the hands of the walking dead. Only a third of them had thus far made it out of the van. Six of them, armed with pipes, bats, and tire irons against countless walking dead. Of course no one wanted to think about that.

* * *

><p>Orange and black filled the late afternoon sky, the thick smoky pillars reflecting the fires that produced the smoke as the light of day was slowly drowned out.<p>

"It almost looks like there was an earthquake," Mizuki muttered as she took note of the city around them.

Though Tokyo was in disarray, it was far from devastated or decrepit. For one most of the buildings were structurally sound and intact. Most showed no signs of any damage from the riots and chaos aside from some blood splattered on the walls or the occasional broken window, though a few were ablaze or had vehicles protruding from them.

"If it had been an earthquake there'd be chunks missing from the buildings," Shinji remarked, verbalizing Sagara's thoughts. "If it was a fight or battle then the buildings would look like they've been blown apart. This just looks like a big riot really - like Los Angeles after the Lakers win the championship or Vancouver after they lose the cup."

"I didn't think you were much of a sports fan," Issei remarked, giving the smaller boy an appraising look.

"Well, whenever there's a riot like that they're usually quelled by the deployment of the military reserves, sometimes the local governments request the presence of an AS squad." The explanation made sense. "But I wonder why the JSDF hasn't been deployed for this? It's what, after noon by now and everything started at least five hours ago."

"If I had a phone with internet I might be able to tell you," lamented Mizuki. "Unfortunately my parents didn't want me to get one of those phones."

Despite the group's seemingly pointless chatter, Sagara knew that the others were dealing with a great deal of stress. Though they had not encountered many walking dead since their escape from the van, their escape had been costly. Only six of seventeen had survived. Their bonds of friendship and camaraderie had been severed in the span of several minutes, leaving the survivors to deal with the consequences of their choices and the sacrifices of the few heroic individuals.

But now was not the time for them to try to deal with their emotional traumas.

"We should stop in there," Sagara suggested.

"An amusement park?" Kaname remarked skeptically.

"There's food and shelter available, and if we're lucky we should be able to procure transportation," Sagara rationalized.

As if on cue several stomachs audibly grumbled, reminding them all that it was well past lunch and that none of them had eaten since before school had started.

Sighing, Kaname nodded as Sagara led them past the wide open gates.

Aside from the smoke in the distance and the fact that it was practically vacant the park appeared to be completely untouched. The brightly painted roller coasters, game booths, and rides that were intended to brighten the mood and atmosphere of the park seemed to put a damper on the spirits of the half dozen survivors. As the park closest to Jindai it was the one that most of the students frequented on the rare off or half day. They were used to seeing the park filled with lively patrons, but seeing it empty made the horrors outside of the park all the more depressing.

"Here, we can eat these." Pushing aside any feelings he had for the park, Sagara grabbed several bags of brightly colored cotton candy, tossing them to the others. Though far from filling, it provided them with sugar should they need to make a quick escape.

Hopping over the counter, he eyed the array of snack food. Cautiously he approached the back of the stand, making sure that there wasn't a surprise in store for them. Seeing no threats he unslung his now empty duffle bag. Filling his bag with bottled water and bags of chips and candy he eyed the stand.

"What?" the ever observant Kaname asked.

"Stay here," he ordered. "You can lock yourselves in if necessary" he pointed to the drop down screen and then the locks "I'm going to check out the park."

"But we've got enough food and water to last the day," Issei remarked.

"Use the water to clean up," Sagara suggested. "We'll need the food in case we don't make it back to my apartment by tonight. I'm going to see if there's anything around that we can use."

* * *

><p>"I've got a signal!" the helmsman proclaimed his voice barely louder than the sound of something pounding on the metal doors to the cabin. "It's Wraith!"<p>

Gritting his teeth, Marducus nodded. "Contact Wraith. Let him know that we're sending him a package."

"Sir, yes, sir."

For a few moments the entire bridge crew waited.

"Ready the escape capsule," the XO ordered.

"The Captain is secure."

"Fire when ready."

"Calculations made," the helmsman stated. "Fire!"

Nodding grimly, the XO watched the monitor before him. "Godspeed."

* * *

><p>The stark, colorfully painted park provided little cover for Sagara, forcing him to be all the more cautious as he made his way through the park. Like the others he'd previously come to this particular park, though his own experiences were less merry and gay than theirs. The park's most popular mascot was the adorable giant teddy bear – Bonta-kun. Honestly, Sagara hated the park. Oh, at first it was all fun and games, the possibility of miniature AS units would have revolutionized urban combat, but the faulty OS made communicating between the units difficult. Only the Miami SWAT had purchased a set, and that had been short lived. Okay, there had been one other buyer, but when word of his transaction with one of the local Yakuza families was brought to light he was forced to shut things down. The financial losses didn't end there though as the owners of the Bonta-kun had sued him, or rather his company, for trademark infringement. Yes, they didn't like the fact that an army of Bonta-kuns had been shooting up some of the other Yakuza in the area.<p>

He hadn't even realized that he'd been scowling at the painted image of Bonta-kun until he'd managed to see the mirror that the image had been painted on. Shaking off the odd mood, the scarred teen again scanned the area before moving towards the abandoned games in the midway.

For now they had enough food and water, and they had adequate shelter for now, but if they were going to make it back to his apartment they'd need more weapons. With only two clips left though the guns were more of a liability than an asset as the gunfire drew Them. No, what they needed was something lethal and quiet, or at least quiet enough to not draw too much attention.

Grabbing the hammer from the test of strength game, Sagara headed towards the secluded maintenance shed behind the rest room. Breaking the lock, he rummaged through the tools, picking out anything that could be useful and stuffing them into a duffle bag before turning his attention to the brooms and mops. Taking the sturdiest handles he grabbed three before rushing back out of the shed.

Every moment wasted here was a moment more that They would have to infest the streets and make the trip back to his apartment all the harder.

* * *

><p>The gentle ticking of the analog clock was grating to Takahashi's ears as he watched Rei tend to Hisashi's wounds. The lean youth knew what was bound to happen and dreaded every moment of it.<p>

"Water?"

"Huh?" he replied instinctively as he turned to the violet haired speaker.

"Are you thirsty?" Saeko asked as she dangled a bottle of water before him.

"No, I'm alright."

"No, you're not," the kendoka stated. "He's your best friend and she's his girlfriend."

"She's going to hate me," the words brought a bitter taste to his mouth.

"I could"

"No," he interjected.

"She's right though," Saya chimed in. "Things are already rough enough between you and Rei."

Takashi shook his head, "I can't; it's Hisashi."

Before either girl could interrupt again another voice disrupted their conversation. "Takashi?" All three turned to glance at Rei as the brunette focused her attention on them. "Hisashi wants to talk to you."

"Oh, okay." He could feel the warmth draining from his face and body as he calmly walked into the crowded waiting room. Seeing Rei holding Hisashi's hand Takashi swallowed down his unease. He'd hoped that Rei wouldn't be around when it had to be done, but it was proving impossible to separate the couple.

Due to the limited space the second year junior sat against the wall. All around them lay the other infected students.

"You know what you have to do," Hisashi said as he forced himself not to cough.

Again Takashi swallowed. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry Rei."

"Huh?" the clueless brunette exclaimed. "What do you mean?"

"Takashi," the injured boy grit out as he raised his injured arm to his friend "make sure you get her out of here – promise me."

Choking down his own swirling emotions Takashi nodded, "I promise." Gripping his friends hand he could feel just how weak the once steadfast boy had become in such a short period of time.

"Oh," an exacerbated Rei sighed before comprehension sunk in. "Wait, what about you? I'm not going to leave you behind!"

"You know what needs to be done. I'm amazed *cough* that I held on this long."

"What are you saying?" the busty brunette cried out. "It's only a bite!"

"Look around you," hissed Saeko. "Everyone who's been bit died and became one of Them. We've already put down three of Them."

Realization dawned on the brunette. "But, but…"

"We can't just kill the injured," Takashi stated. "They're still alive"

"For now," Saya added.

"Still, it's not right," he said firmly. "We'll have to tie them down for our own safety."

"That's a good idea," seconded Hisashi. "But it's too late for me."

"What! No!" Rei objected.

"Let go of me!" The sudden cry cut their conversation short as everyone turned their attention to the young first year girl as she struggled to free herself from one of Them.

"Shit!" Saya cursed as she scanned the area for anything that could be used as a weapon.

Acting on instinct Saeko rushed over as she swung her bokken down. The sickening sound of breaking bone echoed throughout the room.

"No!" Rei cried out as she sought to further deny the truth of their situation.

"It needed to be done," Saya said, stating the obvious.

"Ah!"

"No!"

A cacophony cries filled the room as other students were suddenly assaulted by their former peers turned into Them.

A firm grip on his own hand kept Takashi from rushing to aid the others. Turning back to face Hisashi he saw the dead look in his friend's eyes. Swinging the bat with his free hand he brought it down on Hisashi's head before ripping his other hand free.

"We have to get out of here," he declared as he eyed the other students that had been bitten. Sharing a glancing look with Saeko he turned his attention to the writhing students.

"Help me evacuate the others," the kendoka ordered as she dragged the other girls out of the room.

The grim task of killing Them went quickly, though perhaps it was because most of Them were freshly turned. Heart pounding, Takashi closed the door as he left the blood splattered room.

"I'm going to need your help clearing a path," Saeko stated as she suddenly appeared before him. "Those cries earlier seem to have drawn some of Them and we can't get everyone out without taking care of Them."

Throat parched, he simply nodded. Taking the lead he stepped out of the nurse's office and scanned the hallways. Motioning towards the three of Them that shambled towards the office from the north Takashi took off running. Three swings felled three of Them clearing the north hallway even as Saeko eliminated the rest of Them in the south end of the hallway.

"If we go this way we can make it down to the teacher's lounge," Saeko explained as she pointed down the hallway.

"This way leads out to the grounds," Takashi countered.

"If we're going to get everyone out of here we're going to need a vehicle for transportation," the slender girl offered in rebuttal. "Shizuka can drive the school's bus if need be."

"Fine," he reluctantly agreed. "I'll check ahead and clear the way."

Before she could object he was already past her, running as silently as he could to the stairs. Blood splattered the passageway, a grizzly reminder of all that had happened already. Cautiously he descended down the stairs, careful not to step on the pools of blood. Reaching the landing he paused as he spotted the shambling feet of a group of Them.

"What do we do?" Saeko whispered.

"I don't know." For a moment the two of them contemplated their options, neither sure what to do. The crowd beneath them was more than either of them could handle. "Why don't I head back to the north stairwell and draw them that way?"

Shaking her head she replied, "Too risky."

"We don't really have any other options."

Rushing back up the stairs and hallway he eyed the fire extinguisher on the wall. Bat in hand he quietly broke the protective glass. Grabbing the canister he continued up the hallway, passing by the ambling injured students. His head down he passed Rei and Saya, unwilling to look at the grieving girl or his other childhood friend. Reaching the stairwell he quietly made his way down to the landing between the two floors. The number of Them gathered at this end of the hallway exceeded his initial expectations, throwing a wrench into his impromptu plan. Even if he could draw them this way he'd need to keep them occupied long enough so as not to notice the others.

Making his way back towards one of the classrooms on the floor he brought several chairs to the stairwell. After several minutes he managed to gather a handful of chairs, placing them by the stair well.

"What the hell are you doing?" Saya demanded.

"There are too many of Them here," he explained between breaths. "I might be able to draw their attention for a while, but I'll need to buy you guys more time."

"So you're going to throw chairs at them while they come up the stairs?"

From the way that she was staring indignantly at him he could tell that she wanted an actual answer and that she hadn't asked a rhetorical question. "It'll buy you guys some time."

"And just how do you plan to get their attention?" she asked mockingly.

Walking down to the middle landing, he peered around the corner,

"You idiot!" she hissed in as soft a tone as possible. "Don't ignore me!"

"I hope this works," he replied. Lifting the canister over his head he took aim at the closest of Them. A mighty heave brought the red canister crashing down onto its head, knocking it down and drawing the attention of the rest of Them around their now fallen peer.

Slowly They began ambling up the steps after him. Rushing up the stairs he glanced at Saya. "Go!"

Without a second thought the pinkette ran south.

Turning his attention back to Them as they came up the stairs he lifted a chair over his head. Tossing it at the first of Them that reached the landing, he began to rain down wood and metal chairs. Several managed to knock down one of Them, which helped, but the true purpose of the chairs was to obstruct Them. Stumbling through the tangled mass of chairs some of Them even impaled themselves on the chair legs, further tangling the mess of Them that tried to force their way up the stairs.

From where he stood he could see Saya reach the other set of stairs. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as the girls began to slowly lead the injured students down the stairs.

"I should have grabbed more chairs," he muttered as he threw down the last chair, striking one of Them squarely on the head. The sickening sound of bone breaking told him that he'd managed to kill that one, but the others behind it were making their way through the tangled mess of chairs. Grabbing his bat, he swung it down on the head of the closet of Them. With the extra reach from the bat and the stairs, he managed to stay out of their reach despite slowly being pushed back up the stairs. Reaching the top he again spotted Saya as she waved at him, signaling that the others had cleared the south stairwell.

One final swipe sent one of Them tumbling back into the others. Running south he reached the second stairwell just as the first of Them reached the top of the stairs. Taking the stairs two or three at a time he quickly reached the ground floor.

"This way!" Saya called out.

Cringing internally he could hear Them turning around at the other stairwell even as he chased after the other students.

"It's crazy out here," Saeko explained as he caught up with them. "It looks like some of the other classes boarded themselves in their rooms."

"We should help them," Takashi stated as he watched Them try to force their way into one of the classrooms.

"There's nothing we can do," the kendoka stated. With handful of injure that they had and only three weapons there was no viable way for them to assist the students trapped in their classroom.

"Looks like They came through this way first," Saya concluded. "We waited too long."

Takashi shook his head. "They came from the front gate, and They made it to the office, so, it does make sense. If we'd come here earlier we'd have been caught up with everyone else that rushed down the stairs. At least we're not that far from the parking lot."

"We need the keys to the bus first," Saya urged. "Takashi, you go with Miss Shizuka to get the keys, we'll look for something to distract Them."

Catching his wind, Takashi escorted the buxom school nurse down the hall of the administrative building. His earlier assumption that They had come this way appeared to be spot on as there were only a few pools of dark, drying blood here.

Tentatively the pair made their way down the hallway, ever aware of any stray shadows or unusual creaking sounds. Peering through the open doorway he tried to see if anyone or anything inhabited the office. Ever mindful of their situation, he pushed the door open.

"No one's here," Shizuka sighed, rushing through the threshold. "Got it!"

Before either could celebrate the minor victory the sound breaking glass interrupted them and drew their attention to the outer windows as and handful of Them tried to force their way into the room. Nothing needed to be said as they hastily retreated to the hallway then made their way to the parking lot.

"There you are," Saya sighed in relief. "We couldn't find anything that might distract them."

"It's alright," Takashi cut in. "You take the others to the bus, I'll provide the distraction." Before anyone could object he'd already made his way through the door.

'_They're can definitely see me, but at a distance they won't notice me unless I make some kind of noise or get too close to them_,' he surmised as he scanned the parking lot.

They were gathered around the academic buildings, though a few lingered around the back gate where the delinquents usually hung out. Eying the bus, he rushed to the opposite end of the parking lot before climbing atop of a car. Taking a deep breath he swung the bat over his head before bringing it down on the windshield of the tiny red Honda.

A second glance around the lot told him all he needed to know – he'd drawn Their attention. Only the ones trying to break into the classrooms or already chasing someone else weren't focused on him as he prepared to bring the bat down on the broken window.

Perched atop the red Honda he tapped the aluminium bat against the top of the car, drawing more of Them to him even as the other students rushed towards the bus. One eye focused on Miss Shizuka as she unlocked the buss, the other on the slowly advancing horde of Them.

By the time Saeko had the first of the injured students on the bus several of Them were gathered around the Honda. Bringing the bat down on the most threatening one he caved in its skull. More and more of Them surrounded him even as more of the injured students found safety on the bus.

Bashing in the head of one of the Walkers he eyed the Toyota next to him. With more and more of Them circling around the Honda he knew that he couldn't continue to dance around their clutching hands. Leaping to the Toyota he took two quick steps before jumping to the next car. Though They stood over the top of the cars, none of Them were able to navigate around the parked cars as smoothly as he was currently able to.

Hopping from car to car he waited until he'd cleared most of Them before descending to the pavement. Winded from his exertions, he jogged towards the bus even as more students ran from the school building. Unfortunately They had begun to focus on the bus as well as the now running vehicle was quickly filling with students shouting either at the driver or at their peers who were still making their way towards the bus.

Though several retreating students were being harassed by Them, he could see that something or someone was taking care of the threats to the students. A second glance at the bus told him that it was Kohta laying atop of a car who was providing the cover fire for the students.

A relieved smirk formed on his lips as he continued to rush towards the bus. "What are you shooting them with?" he asked as he approached the rotund boy.

"While Saya was looking for something to distract Them with I was looking for things to use as a weapon," the chubby youth stated even as he kept his eyes on those approaching the bus. "I modified this nail gun to use it as a weapon. Too bad I'm starting to run out of nails."

"The bus is filling up," the lean boy stated as he refrained from panting.

Kohta shook his head slightly, "It's already full."

Takashi blinked.

The roar of the bus' engine drew his attention. The students weren't yelling at the survivors to come to the bus, they were yelling to them to not come. The students were shouting at the driver to leave.

"You know," Kohta said as he finally looked up from the approaching students, "it's always the fat guys who go first."

"I won't leave you behind," Takashi stated.

Doors closed, the packed bus rumbled forward, leaving the two boys behind.

"We won't leave you behind either," Saeko said as she emerged from the bus' shadow. Behind her stood Saya, Rei, and the busty Shizuka.

"We'll take my car," Shizuka stated with a grin. "It only seats four but we should be able to squeeze in."

* * *

><p>AN

That's it for now. Enjoy.

Dreamingfox


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes –

Wow, I know it's been a while, but hey, life happens.

* * *

><p>Chaos filled the streets of Tokyo, making it all the harder for the survivors of Jindai Municipal High School as they scurried through the charred remains of the once bustling city. Overturned cars, some crushed, others aflame, littered the roads as mangled corpses shambled along in search of the living.<p>

"Left!" Rei shouted as she directed the normally happy-go-lucky school nurse. The sound of flesh hitting metal caused the inhabitants of the backseat to shudder even as they were pushed together by the force of the sudden turn.

"Where are we going?" Kohta asked from the front seat as Miss Shizuka guided the car back onto the road.

"We need to find shelter," the pinkette pointed out. "Unfortunately none of us lives nearby."

For a moment all six inhabitants glanced west at the setting sun as it began to hide behind the buildings on the horizon.

"Saya's right," Takashi agreed. "There's only so long that we can run on adrenaline."

"It looks like there are more cars ahead," the only adult in the vehicle stated. "Not the overturned ones either. Traffic looks to be at a deadlock."

"We need to cross the river," Takashi protested. "Just take the next left – hopefully we can get to the next bridge."

With no other options on the table Miss Shizuka did as he suggested. The road was littered with debris and a few dozen people rushing here and there, but no one seemed to pay them any heed.

"I may not live around here, but I know where we can stop for the night," the pudgy otaku stated. "My father has a second floor office around here and there's a studio apartment on the third floor that my mother uses to store some of her work. Just take a right at the next street and go a kilometer or so down the road. The place is usually locked up so I doubt anyone would be there since my parents are both out of the country."

Takashi nodded at Miss Shizuka as she peered back at him in the mirror. Wrapping his arm around Saya as the car approached the intersection he could feel her firm rear grinding against him nearly soliciting a response. It didn't help that her skirt was very short, though from the look of things both Rei and Saeko's skirts were equally short. Not that he was looking, but he couldn't help but notice that fact as the girls had run through the school and parking lot. At least now they were seated, though that act seemed to hike the already short skirts further up their thighs.

"It's a store?" Rei remarked as they approached the building.

"It used to be a store," Kohta corrected. "The owner died and didn't have any children, his closest relatives are his cousins who are both trying to claim the business but that's in court still. There are two offices upstairs, one for my dad and one for the store, and then there's a studio apartment on the third floor. The former owner is a friend of my dad's and none of his family has come by since their claims are still tied up in court."

Takashi was glad to have Saya off of his lap as Rei and Saeko made sure that the area was secure. The tiny parking area by the rear entrance to the building was untouched, showing no signs of Them or of the chaos that had engulfed the streets of the city. Only the bits of smoke in the air and the sound of distant alarms remained to remind them of the dangers that they faced.

Once the doors had been unlocked Takashi lead the way up the stairs while Saeko covered Kohta as he locked the doors and set the alarms. Despite the other boy's vehement claims that the area was secure the others insisted on being cautious. The offices were empty of people just as the gun otaku had claimed, though the small refrigerators in the Kohta office yielded several cartons of flavored milk and iced teas and coffees. There was also an opened package of bottled water, instant ramen, a microwave, hotpot, and several bowls and plates. The other office contained a desk, computer, modem, printer, fax machine, and copier though there was another door leading to the back of the building.

"This door leads to the storeroom," Kohta explained once they secured the vacant store office. "If we need more food we can check the store, but I doubt that they have anything since the store focused on office supplies. This door leads to open stairs that go down into the storeroom, there's a locked door between the store and the storeroom, but there's also a loading dock that faces the alley."

It was a simple, efficient layout. The offices were not meant for heavy traffic but neither where they made for maximum security as there was nothing between the exterior door and the office doors or the stairs up to the apartment.

"Did they sell book bags?" Saya asked. "Or laptops? Phones?"

The younger boy took a moment to think, "They do, but why don't we check the store room in back first?"

"Takashi can come with me," the pinkette stated as she grabbed the taller boy's arm.

"Why don't we go down there after we secure the apartment?" Saeko suggested. "That way we all can go down to the storeroom and store to see if there are any supplies that we might need."

* * *

><p>The trek back to his apartment was proving to be far too slow and deadly for the rapidly dwindling group of Jindai survivors. There had been ten Jindai High school survivors when they had left the amusement park but slowly the number had dwindled down to six. Shinji's surprising ability to snipe had proven to be the deciding factor but Sagara knew deep down that the boy was perhaps the most troubled by their fallen comrades. The mop and broom handles had proven useful, but ultimately the wooden shafts could only dish out so much punishment before they broke. The first to break had resulted in them losing two classmates, and only Issei's martial arts prowess had prevented anyone else from dying in that encounter with the infected. The blue-haired Aoi managed to sprain her ankle, prompting her friend Hina to push her around in a shopping cart, unfortunately for them Hina had lost control of the cart and rather than leaving her friend alone Hina had chased after Aoi. Shinji's skill as a sniper allowed the girls to die with dignity even as their bodies drew the horde of undead away from the remaining survivors.<p>

With only two clips for the Berettas and just under two for the rifle the odds of them reaching his apartment were shrinking with each minute. The closest station to Jindai High was half a kilometer away and there were four stops between the closest stop to his apartment which was another quarter kilometer away from the station. By himself he could cover the distance in an hour under normal circumstances, but these were far from normal circumstances.

In eight hours they had gone perhaps twenty kilometers as the party had sought to circumvent the hordes of infected that wandered the streets. Add to that the various fires and rioting plus closed off streets and bridges and it was clear that they would not reach the apartment by nightfall. While the train did not run straight from the school to the apartment, it did cross the river twice as it shifted from running south, to east, to south, to west, and back to south. The gathered crowds at the bridges and along the roads closest to the bridges made him wiry, despite the objections of the others. Beyond the crowds had been the looters and rioters who were allowing their base emotions and instincts to take over as they revealed in the chaos and destruction. They were just as dangerous as the infected and needed to be avoided as well.

Eying the street signs Sagara fought the urge to smile. He knew where they were. "We won't make it back to my apartment," he stated as he turned to look at the others. "But there is a place that we might be able to hole up to for tonight. We should be able to get some weapons as well."

It was a sign of the times that Chidori did not slug him or even attempt to yell at him when he mentioned weapons. He knew that the others were all broken, though they were not yet as far gone as the crazed groups that had ravaged the streets. Several infected shambled along the streets, fortunately they were headed away from them apparently drawn towards the ruckus at the other end of the street as other survivors made the most of the end of civilization.

"Fine," the class representative turned student body president sighed. There was more than physical exhaustion weighing her down, but now was not the time to address it. "Lead the way."

The alley behind the shopping district was surprisingly clean compared to the war-torn streets. No overturned cars, bloody remains, or fires touched the backs of the buildings. With the sun setting behind the buildings to the west and no proper lighting in the alley they cautiously made their way in the growing darkness.

"Here it is," Sagara finally said as he led them past a beat up car and up to a loading dock.

"How are we getting in?" Chidori asked as she noted the locks that adorned the door to the loading dock. "Sure, we could camp out here since there are no stairs up to the loading dock, but if you shoot the locks off I'm sure some of the infected will hear. It's also likely that you'll attract the attention of looters and rioters."

Leaping atop the cement dock he squatted before extending his hand to Chidori. "Help them up," he ordered her.

Without even a glance Shinji lifted his rifle and began scanning the alley for any possible threats. They'd been careful to avoid the infected but in the rioting that had erupted they had learned that the dead weren't the only ones that posed a threat to them.

Facing the wall in the darkness, Sagara felt the brick façade until he found the lone lose brick. Prying it out, he was rewarded with the faint green light of an electronic display for a security panel. The space was just enough for him to slip his hand into it to enter his security code. He knew it was risky – the arms dealer had died a month or so ago from natural causes and since then Mithril had been too busy to confiscate the remaining weapons. Most of it was actually his as he had paid for the bulk of the dealer's weapons, but he'd had little opportunity to claim the weapons as he'd been recalled soon after.

The click of the locks being undone told him that the building hadn't lost power or been compromised as many of the other businesses had. Good. He signaled for the others to follow him in. Though dark, he could tell from the stale air that no one had entered the storeroom in a while. Once the last of them was inside he closed the door, waited for the bars in the door to slide into their respective locks, and then closed his eyes as he waited for the lights to turn on.

With the lights on it took little time for him to find his shipment. The wooden crate was perhaps 1.5 meters tall and long but only a meter high. Though the packages appeared to be little more than bundles of office paper the paramilitary operative knew better. The packages of white paper contained boxes of ammo, blue held unassembled handguns, red pieces of an unassembled riffle, yellow the parts of a machine gun, green contained grenades, purple was flash grenades, and orange contained smoke grenades.

He had just completed assembling the first Beretta when he heard voices from the second floor door. Instinctively he brought up his gun and aimed at the door, startling the others as he did so.

Before Kaname could even respond the door opened, revealing a heavy-set boy and several others behind him. The boy froze at the sight of a gun aimed at him, but his companions failed to realized the danger they were in as they walked into him and pushed him against the railing.

There were six of them, none willing to leave while there was a gun pointed at them.

"Who are you?" Sagara demanded the newcomers finally noticed him and the remaining Jindai survivors.

"Knock it off," Chidori demanded as she put her hand on his arm, "they're survivors like we are. From the look of them they're from Fujimi High, they can't be much older or younger than we are. Well, maybe she is, but she's probably a teacher or nurse from the way she dresses."

The buxom woman standing behind the five youths nodded vigorously, "I am Shizuka Marikawa, school nurse at Fujimi High School."

"Takashi Kumoro," the taller of the two Fujimi boys stated as he stood protectively before the three girls. "This is Rei Miyamoto" the brunette "Saya Takagi" the pinkette "and Saeko Busujima" the purple haired girl. That just left

"Kohta Hirano," the smaller of the two boys said. "Is that a Beretta 92FS?"

"I don't think that's relevant right now," Saya groaned.

"Actually it is," Saeko countered. "Kohta, that's a real gun?"

Kohta nodded, "The extended handle suggests that he has a clip of twenty."

"You know your guns," Sagara stated.

"This is Sagara Sousuke," Chidori introduced. "I am Kaname Chidori, this is my friend Kyoko Tokiwa, Mizuki Inaba, and our classmate Shinji Kazama, and our schoolmate Issei Tsubaki – we're from Jindai High."

"The crazy school with all the explosions?" Rei asked as she kept her eyes locked on the gun in Sagara's hand.

Kaname sighed, "Yeah… Put the gun away Sagara. I doubt that they're a treat to us."

"There's blood on their uniforms," he replied as he lowered his gun slightly.

"It's from Them," Rei sighed.

"'Them'?" Chidori repeated.

"That's what we call, you know, those things," Takashi answered.

"The infected," Sagara nodded. "How many are you?"

"Just the six of us," the taller boy replied. Clearly he was their leader, or at least their spokesperson. "What are you doing here?"

"I had dealings with the former owner of the store," Sagara stated. "The store is merely a front for his smuggling operation."

"Say what?" the pinkette exclaimed.

"I regularly dealt with him when ordering my weapons, though I was away when my last shipment came in and when I returned I was informed of his passing. This crate is my last shipment."

"He was hiding guns in an order of paper?" Kohta remarked. "Wow, I… I don't know what to say."

"Why are you here?" Shinji asked.

"Is that a Bushmaster AR-15 with an extended clip?" the gun fanatic asked excitedly.

Shinji shrugged, unsure of the gun himself.

"Yes," Sagara replied finally. "You seem to know your guns as much as Shinji knows his Arm-Slaves."

"I spent some time with a member of Delta Force when I was in America," the other boy replied. "He took me to the firing range to shoot some guns and showed me how to care for them."

"Not that this isn't fascinating and all," the pinkette interjected, her tone dripping with sarcasm "but what the hell is going on here?"

"Aside from the obvious that some paramilitary extremists unleashed a biological agent that turns those infected with it into literal flesh craving zombies," Kyoko said as she looked up thoughtfully. "We're here because our military fanatic managed to get us out of school but not back to his apartment. He apparently had his illegal guns and ammo shipped to him through this store and wanted to have weapons on hand since this is, you know, a zombie apocalypse. You're not here because you discovered his hidden weapons and wanted them for yourself, are you?"

Takashi shook his head, "No, we're not. We're here because his parents rent out the second office and the apartment overhead."

"If your contact was a smuggler, what else might we have here?" Mizuki pondered aloud.

"I never asked," Sagara replied. "He was just a middleman, not the seller or distributer. He's essentially like DHS for the underworld."

"Anyways," Chidori interjected, "we're looking for a safe place to stay tonight. If there's an apartment on the third floor I'm sure that we could find some arrangement that's beneficial to all of us."

"We want some of the guns," Kohta stated excitedly only to have the pinkette smack the back of his head.

"If we find any other weapons in here we'd be willing to split them with you in exchange for some food and a safe place to sleep," Takashi offered. "We're just staying here the night as well, so we'll need weapons when we leave here."

Chidori glanced at the Jindai survivors. Seeing no objections she nodded. "Fine with us – the boys can stay down here to inventory things and the girls can check out the apartment and ready some food."

Putting his gun away, Sagara turned back to the second unassembled Beretta. "Shinji, why don't you try to fund us some backpacks? We'll need them to carry the ammo and other supplies. Issei start prying open the other boxes. I'll join you when I've got these assembled."

In the short time it took him to assemble the other weapons the martial artist was able to crack open two other boxes. The first was full of what looked to be cocaine; the second was filled with vases. By the time they had finished inventorying the boxes they had found a dozen tasers, extendable truncheons, weighted baseball bats, two shotguns with five hundred rounds, a dozen handguns with over two thousand rounds of ammunition, and silencers and scopes for the guns. Another crate contained several kilos of C4, equipment to created detonators and housing units for various bombs. There were also burn phones, knives, Leathermans, Swiss army knives, brass knuckles, pepper spray, Kevlar bests, walkie talkies, and an assortment of actual office supplies.

"The silencers should keep us from drawing too much attention," Kohta exclaimed as he attached on to the rifle that Sagara had given him. "We should only use the shotguns in an extreme emergency. The kick back is brutal, so aim for the chest, that should let you hit their head. Anything within five meters of you is going to get shredded by the shotgun."

"Are you sure you don't need the rifle?" Takashi asked as he eyed the martial artist.

Issei shook his head, "My visions so bad that without my glasses I might mistake any of you for one of Them." Like the Fujimi survivors, he had not been able to accept that the infected had become zombies despite being willing to bash their skulls in.

In the bit of time that the boys had spent breaking open the various crates and shipping packages they had talked of their experiences during the day. Even Shinji had, though he had nearly broken down when he had shared Ono's tragic death as well as when he'd mentioned the girls that he'd put down so that they would not have to endure being eaten alive.

"What's your story?" Kohta asked as he finished re-assembling his rifle. "You're no older than we are, but you've been dealing with smugglers and ordering firearms and ammo. You've got Middle-Eastern blood in you, but I doubt that you're a terrorist."

"I've grown up with war," the scarred boy stated. "And while peace is nice, it never lasts long. That's why I choose to enjoy every moment I can but prepare for the worst."

"So you prepared for something like this?" Takashi asked, skeptical of the mercenary.

Sagara shook his head, "I've prepared to see humanity at its worst. I'm sure you saw the rioters, looters, and hooligans that are destroying everything and anything they can. That's humanity when the laws no longer apply. These will help us keep our humanity as we enforce our rules within our own closed society."

The others eyed him wirily.

"If we are to protect the others, we have to be willing to use these, not just against Them, but against those who do not care about the laws and who would seek to exploit any perceived weaknesses we might have," he said as he handed one of the handguns to Takashi. Though he took the weapon the look in his eyes spoke of his reluctance to use it.

Of the five of them only Issei did not claim a firearm, though Shinji made up for it by carrying two rifles and Sagara had three handguns and several clips of ammo for each. Kohta had a rifle and handgun, while Takashi claimed a shotgun and a handgun. The remaining half-dozen weapons would be given to the girls with one of the Fujimi girls would get the other shotgun.

"We should stick together," Takashi finally said as he examined the weapon. "We're trying to see if our parents are alright."

Kohta shook his head, "My parents are abroad – I can't check up on them with the phones down."

"Rei and I want to check on our parents," Takashi amended. "We're not too far from the police station where her father works, and the elementary school my mother works at isn't too far away either."

Reaching into his pack Sagara pulled out a map and spread it out. "We're here," quickly circled the shopping district that they were in, "here's Fujimi High, and here's Jindai. This is where we're headed."

Takashi eyed the map and quickly located his mother's school. "Here," he pointed to the school "there," the police station "and this is where we live. It's a slightly out of your way, but if the roads are as bad as you say they are it's likely that you won't be able to take the straight route to your place."

Issei and Shinji shrugged as Sagara glanced at them. Shinji's father was stationed at a military base and the martial artist's family lived outside of Tokyo as well. In fact none of the Jindai survivors' parents lived nearby. Jindai was one of those selective schools that did not house their students and instead relied on them to find their own housing in exchange for lower tuition costs. Few in their student body had strong familial bonds as most had grown independent while attending Jindai.

Finally, "We should be able to accompany you part of the way, but we'll have to check with the girls. There's another storehouse here" he circled the point on the map not too far from the police station "but that's controlled by the yakuza. We can stop there if necessary, but I'd rather not deal with them if we can avoid it. There's a convenience store here, here, and here, and a gas station here that sells food – we might want to check those places out as we make our way to your houses.

"Everyone should take a walkie talkie," he added. "I'll scan the frequencies to see if there are any other survivors using those channels, but before we set out I'll let you know what channels are clear. Make sure the girls now how to use the tasers and give them each two batons."

"I'll take first watch," Shinji volunteered once they were done packing the bags for the girls.

"I'll join you," Takashi said quickly only for Kohta to object.

"I'll go," the younger boy stated. "Sagara would be better at instructing you and the girls how to use the guns and batons since he's had military training, and the girls trust you more than they do me. They're likely to bite my head off if I tell them anything."

"Have Issei bring us up some of the food once it's ready," Shinji added once he was sure he had everything.

Checking to ensure that the loading bay door was locked and secured, Sagara nodded before picking up several half-loaded backpacks.

The smell of freshly cooked ramen of assorted flavors filled the studio apartment despite the makeshift walls of clothes that the girls had put up to created "rooms".

"Where's Kohta?" Saya demanded as she eyed the three boys.

"He's taking first watch," Takashi replied as he walked past the first set of clothes racks.

"We packed each bag with some essentials," Sagara stated as he set several backpacks down, "tasers, Swiss army knife, extendable batons, small first aid kit, batteries, flashlights, and a walkie talkie. You can pick out a knife or two if you're comfortable using it. There are also several small handguns if you're comfortable using them, if not then we'll split the knives and guns between the boys."

It came as no surprise that Mizuki and Kyoko had opted to forgo having any weapons, though they reluctantly accept the non-lethal taser and baton. Kaname had taken extra ammo to go along with her Glock and survival knife. Of the Fujimi girls only Saya had chosen to take a small hand gun and knife. The other girls had taken several knives and the former school nurse had taken an extra taser, two Swiss army knives, and a Leatherman. In the end Sagara filled a small back pack with the extra Leathermans and Swiss army knives. Though they would add weight to what he had to carry, he knew that it was better to be prepared than run into a situation where he needed one and didn't have them on hand.

"I thought you said this was supposed to be an apartment," he finally said as he finished packing his pack. The now soggy noodles remained untouched as the mercenary set a higher priority on putting his supplies away.

"It is," Rei replied in Takashi's place as the later had several long, curly noodles hanging from his mouth. "Kohta's mom uses this place as storage. She's a clothes designer and the racks of clothes are projects she's working on or finished, I'm not sure which. We figured that it would be best to give the girls some privacy so we set up these makeshift walls. We're going to pick through some things to wear, probably alter some since there's a sewing machine here."

"You should cover the windows," Sagara offered. "We don't want to advertise that someone is here. If some of the rioters are out in the street they might be tempted to force their way in just to see what's up here."

"But we've got guns," Saya interjected.

"They don't know that," Sagara replied. "Besides, who's to say that they don't as well?"

"He's right," Saeko seconded. "A light in the darkness is as likely to attract a moth as a mosquito. While we have thus far been fortunate to find kindhearted survivors, who is to say that the next group will be as honorable? Besides, we know that They are capable of hearing as well as seeing, seeing a lone light might attract them as well."

"Shinji and Kohta are on watch right now, right?" Kaname interjected. "Or are they just surveying the street?"

"The later," Sagara answered.

"The girls will take turns watching the windows facing the alley and the boys can handle the front and the stairs," the former class representative offered. "We'll also check the TV for any news reports while you check the frequencies on the Walkies."


	5. Chapter 5

Any good soldier worth his pay believed in daily rituals. Not the type where one sacrificed something or other to some unseen being, but the kind that revolved around familiar actions. For martial artists it would often be a kata, but for soldiers it was often the stripping, cleaning, and reassembling of a firearm or loading ammo into a clip or even looking through one's trophy case of metals, pictures, or other souvenirs from previous campaigns. For Sagara it was a mixture of both as he checked his ammo and weapons, and glanced at a beat up picture of the first AS he had piloted.

The Shamrock had been riddled with several dozen bullet holes, three of which indicated that the previous pilot had been ripped apart in the cockpit, but he had managed to repair the AS after stealing several liters of hydraulics and oil from an enemy camp. Though he could do little about the armor save for wielding on patches he had taken the Shamrock into battle, nearly destroying an enemy convoy single handedly despite being outnumbered six to one. He'd managed to salvage the remains of those six arm-slaves, all Savages, and with some work pieced together a strange Shamrock/Savage hybrid that had served him well until he had the misfortune of running into a squad of Apache helicopters.

Those had been the days – living life to the fullest despite the dangers around him. The men in his unit had called his AS Ravage, then mounted a spare tire rim to the back so that they could use Ravage whenever they wanted to play a game of basketball. They had all understood that they might not live to see the next day, and thus they had made the most to enjoy every moment.

It was so different from his time in Japan. When he had first come here he had a hard time relaxing – how could he relax though when the possibility for danger was everywhere? Yes, Japan was a nation at peace, but that fragile illusion had quickly been dispelled when Kaname and the entire junior class had been hijacked during their trip. All the other incidents had only served to highlight how dangerous things truly were, yet all of the others seemed to brush things off as if nothing happened, never once imagining that those freak incidents that were growing in frequency would one day be the new normal.

Yesterday was not just an unusual day; it was the start of the terrible new reality. His scans through the walkie-talkie frequencies had led to no new leads, but the news broadcasts on every channel suggested that what was happening to them was also occurring throughout the world. Major military bases had been the first ones hit, then police forces, adding to the chaos as those were the two most governments relied on to keep the peace. Some suggested that it was a Middle Eastern conspiracy because many of those nations had thus far been untouched, but it was more likely due to the fact that they did not have major bases outside of the American and Russian bases.

Images from throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas showed eerily similar scenes as those that played out in the streets of Tokyo – rioting, looting, and people running wild. There was little to no police presence except at a few key locations, and there was no mention of the military other than a few tanks and helicopters. No hulking Arm Slaves were seen save for a few older models like Japan's Model 96, M6, and Savages. Something about that bothered Sagara.

Patches of light filled the street below as several storefronts remained illuminated though most had been broken into by the various groups of vagrants that had continued to wander the streets overnight. There had been a few groups of Them shambling by as well that had chased away the vagrants, but the street below them was now empty. The fact that the office supply shop had been closed due to the passing of the owner meant that the storefront had not been opened and thus appealing to any of the looters that had passed through the shopping district.

Unfortunately the same could not be said of the car that had been parked in the alley. Though the car itself was not overly valuable, someone had obviously been affronted by the brand or the color, or perhaps the multiple dents that suggested that the car had seen some action the previous day, and smashed the windows and slashed the tires. Not wanting to draw any unwanted attention, Sagara and Chidori had managed to convince the others to not chase down the offending party arguing that the car was an acceptable loss for maintaining their safety in the unnoticed apartment.

Aside from the guards/watch the other survivors had also been busy when not sleeping. Issei had managed to fashion five spears out of wooden broom/mop handles, knives, and duct tape, though no one found the idea of shin/forearm guards made of magazines and duct tape to be appealing. Still, they had decided to take several dozen rolls of the sturdy tape with them when they finished packing up.

Saya had managed to procure three laptops, and Kohta had been able to create ballistic knives for each of the girls (for additional self-defense). All of the girls had spent their time picking through the assortment of clothes.

Bottled water, canned drinks, bags of ramen, gum and candy were split evenly between them all, though some opted to trade various items due to preference and taste. With their things packed, Sagara led them down the stairs towards the back alley.

The five boys had initially taken it upon themselves to guard the girls, but after being reprimanded by Chidori and Saeko they had relented. Sagara and Saeko would take point, Kohta would offer support, then Kaname and Takashi would be in charge in the middle with Miss Shizuka, Saya, Mizuki, and Kyoko, then Shinji as support, and finally Issei and Rei bring up the rear.

The group moved at a good pace, though they were forced to stop a few times and even to reverse course to avoid groups of crazed civilians. While they had the firepower needed to dispatch any small groups, Kaname and Takashi had both agreed that it was best that they avoid confrontation.

It was no surprise that they did not pick up stragglers as there were few individuals and most small groups shied away from them upon seeing the batons, spears, and the rifles that they bore. Most sensible survivors were probably holed up somewhere they believed to be safe or attempting to flee only to find themselves bottlenecked along the streets that lead to the bridges, leaving only the most undesirable element to wander the streets.

Mentally he mapped the area. Jindai and Fujimi High were behind them to the south, but to the southeast was the nearest American military base with a JDF base to the northeast. If he was right then they would be encountering more of Them as they sought to reach their destination. Their current detour was taking them east away from the riverbank and bridges where traffic was as standstill. For two blocks people were stuck in their cars, while another block east of that was where the looting was occurring. That seemed to run for another five or six blocks as the looters drew the bulk of the attention from the infected. Beyond that any possible survivors had holed up inside their homes. Most of the viable houses had brick fences and from what little he'd seen the windows and doors had been boarded up or barricaded with furniture.

Their way was mostly filled with silence, though they occasionally heard the cries and pleas of stragglers.

The sound of muffled gunfire told him that Kohta had spotted some of Them approaching the group from the east, prompting the group to quicken their pace as they headed north along the desolate street.

From his vantage point he could see a row of cars blocking the street ahead of them, almost as though the residents had sought to create a barricade out of cars. It was definitely not the result of a mere accident as none of the cars were on fire and their placement seemed to be too convenient. For at least an entire block all of the vehicles were gone, at least until one reached the barricade. Failing to see light beneath the cars he eyed the cars again, spotting the rows of carefully stacked cinderblocks that prevented anyone from crawling under the cars to bypass the barricade.

Reaching the last intersection before the barricade he glanced both east and west. Neither option appealed to him as several dozen of Them ambled along the street before what appeared to be another barricade prevented them from going any further west and the way east was inhabited by what appeared to be a biker gang.

"This doesn't look good," Saeko stated as she stood beside him. Behind him the others were slowly coming to a halt as well.

"There's a group of two dozen of Them coming from behind," Kohta stated as he extracted the spent clip from his rifle. The sound of Shinji's rifle did little to ease Sagara's mind.

"We're being led into a trap," Saeko stated. "They've closed off the street, and they know that our only option is to head East directly into them or West directly into a horde of infected."

"We head north," Sagara insisted as he handed his rifle to Kohta. "Be careful, I'll catch up to you."

With a nod the two proceeded up the road. The others followed with only Kaname and Takashi eyeing him skeptically as they passed. Only the teal haired girl knew what he was really up to as he knelt on the street.

"Save your ammo," he advised Shinji as the scrawny boy passed by him.

As Issei and Rei reached him he saw the gang slowly approach, making sure that there were no stragglers. "Get ready to run when I give you the signal," he ordered them.

The buxom brunette eyed him skeptically before Issei nodded, "When things to go Hell then?"

Sagara nodded as he walked back towards the head of the group. Reaching Kaname and Takashi he slowed his pace, "I'll clear the path, but you'll have to lead the others through."

"Through the barricade?" the other boy asked skeptically. Having just met Sagara he had no idea what to expect of the mercenary.

The scarred boy nodded.

As they approached the barricade they could see several figures standing stop the disabled vehicles. Though many sported baseball clubs, knives, crowbars and other blunt weapons there was little save for their numbers that gave Sagara any reason for concern. Having avoided many of the other hooligans thus far they had not had to come into any direct confrontations, but this time it was unavoidable. There were over two dozen punks before them with another four dozen behind. The fact that they were throwing up a hastily constructed barricade that consisted of segments of chain-linked fencing suggested that they were together and reasonably organized.

Stopping his group at over twenty meters he eyed the opposing force. All of them were armed, though some of what he had thought was clubs and metal pipes were perhaps modified air guns or one shot flame throwers.

"Nice toys you have there," the apparent leader of the gang taunted as he stood atop the center of the barricade. The beat up Toyota was covered in blood, a likely sign that the gang had stood in the back of the truck and bashed in the heads of the infected from high ground. From where he stood it was easy to mistake their firearms for airsoft guns.

"They're not toys," Sagara stated as he stepped forward, taking his rifle from Kohta. Slinging the weapon over his shoulder he removed the silencer. A quick, calculated shot brought the punk down a level as one corner of the flatbed lowered. Several gang members jumped, clearly startled by the gunfire.

Startled as he was, the punk refused to give ground as he signaled to his men on the wall. "Well, we've got guns too."

Sagara ceded the point. "I see that, but best ones are shotguns – they're great at crowd control, but not vary accurate. Plus they're slower and while they have stopping force, they aren't always lethal. The rest look to be modified potato guns – pressurized air that spits out maybe ball bearings – they'll hurt if they hit, but again they lack accuracy and lethal force. I doubt that your guns are effective past twenty meters."

"There are more of us than there are of you," the brute growled. "Even if ours aren't lethal you sissies are gonna break once we fire ours off" the punks with guns raised their weapons "you might get a few shots in, maybe even kill a few of us, but that's it." Nearly two thirds of them had some sort of gun aimed at them, leaving just enough of them to rush them, not to mention the group closing in on them from behind. "Once we're done kicking the shit out of you we're gonna take your girls and fuck'm right in front of you then kill you once we've each had a turn. Hell, we might make them watch as we feed you to the zombies."

"You're thinking that just because there are more of you that you'll win, even though I've shown you that we have superior firepower," Sagara cut the man off before he could get into his diabolical monologue. He really didn't have time to let that play out. Instead he lowered his rifle, drawing a grin from the punk even as he pulled out a grenade and a remote detonator. "Let me show you just how much firepower we have."

The charges he'd set along the intersection went off, throwing bits of concrete into the air eve as the flash grenades and tear gas filled the street with more debris. Kohta and Shinji quickly took out the punks with shotguns before a Sagara tossed a grenade into the barricade. Kaname, Takashi and Saya opened a path as they unloaded their shotguns into the startled punks.

His grenade detonated, sending two cars flying and opening a hole in the barricade. Saeko smacked several punks aside with her twin batons as she led the way into the breach. The three shotgunners followed, sending any offending punks to the ground with their non-lethal blasts. While the others had picked out clothes Kaname had filled the girls' shotguns with non-lethal rounds, leaving only Takashi with the deadlier rounds. While he was hesitant to kill, he knew that he needed to defend the others. His shots connected with legs and arms, sending any assailants to the ground where they would no longer be a threat to the others.

Kohta and Shinji followed, the mere sight of them taking aim stopping the punks in their tracks before they dropped their weapons, turned tail and ran, or both. Scanning the street ahead of them the two snipers made sure that there were no other threats ahead of them, allowing the rest of their group to proceed unmolested by the gang.

Overwhelming firepower might have been the norm for the students at Jindai, but for those unused to such a display it truly was terrifying. There was no shame for the punks as they scattered when confronted with grenades, C4 charges, and the firearms that they currently faced.

With the last of their group of survivors through the breach Sagara pulled out another pair of grenades. Once they were reasonably past the barricade he tossed the first at the closest cluster of punks before covering his ears and closing his eyes. The flash grenade would disorient them, but it would also attract the infected, preventing the punks from following the survivors. The smoke grenade would make it even harder for them to follow the survivors if they were so inclined.

For now it was enough that the punks were deterred. Even over the ringing in his ears he could hear Kohta and Shinji's muffled shots as they stood atop a second barricade and picked off more of the infected. Evidently the punks had not expected anyone to actually breach their barricade, though it was low enough that the survivors could easily climb over the hoods of the cars rather than blowing another hole in the barricade.

Missing were the shotguns, a sign that any of Them that were on the other side were not immediate threats. None of the girls fired their handguns, further reinforcing that notion as Sagara rushed leapt atop a car hood. A final glance back told him that the punks were in no position to seek retribution cowed as they were by the overwhelming firepower. Had this occurred during a war Sagara would not have hesitated to kill them all, but he knew that their own ammo reserves were limited and the threat of the walking dead was far more pressing.

"Keep an eye on our flank," he ordered Rei. With the group clustered together she was their true rearguard.

The brunette nodded as he rushed past her. Once he passed Shinji he signaled for the sniper to resume his position towards the rear of the column to support Rei and Issei.

The group was well out of sight of the barricade when they finally turned west. The roads were once again littered with burnt out shells of cars, some of them overturned, others intertwined with street lights or other cars. There were of course no bodies to be seen, only red smears and sometimes bits of clothes.

"Let's secure the overpass," he suggested to Saeko as they neared a larger intersection.

The violet haired girl nodded. Since their hasty escape from the biker punks' barricades they'd encountered only a handful of Them. Though they were easily able to out run Them, it was quickly evident that They didn't tire out unlike the faster survivors. It did not help that they were each carrying between 15 and 20 kilos of supplies. The group needed a break soon.

Overpasses were fairly common in parts of Tokyo providing pedestrians a means of crossing busy intersections without actually having to cross traffic, and they were supposed to be some of the more popular locations for cheap dates around the Christmas season as many shops set up holiday lights. In the midst of spring they were just a means to cross the street.

The streets were fairly empty beneath the overpass, and the structure itself was intact despite on end having been struck by a minivan. Signaling the others to wait he rushed up the stairs to make sure that the structure was clear of any threats. Saeko followed behind, her trusty batons in hand as she bounded up the steps. Once at the top he surveyed the area. There were still plenty of Them around, but there were other things around to keep the attention of the infected. Rushing back to the eastern end of the overpass he directed the others to the overpass even as he crossed the overpass and descended the other side so that he could examine the damaged vehicle.

The lack of blood suggested that the driver had survived the crash and left the minivan. The keys in the ignition were of little help as the van appeared to be out of fuel.

The ever familiar sound of shuffling alerted him to the presence of some of Them, prompting him to bring his Beretta up. As quick as he was Saeko was quicker, leaping over the railing to smash a baton into the head of a bloody blonde girl before he had even put the zombie in his sights. Blood gushed from her head as the living girl caved in the undead girl's skull.

"Thanks," he said as she kicked the corpse away.

"You are welcome," she replied, an eager glint in her eyes as she wiped the blood off of her weapon onto the corpse's school uniform.

"Set up a watch," he said into his walkie talkie. "We're going to check out the restaurants to see if we can find something to eat besides candy bars." He did not need to turn around to see Shinji and Kohta as they took up guard/sniping positions on opposite ends of the overpass. "Let's check out the McDonalds first."

Saeko nodded, slipping behind him as he approached the fast food restaurant. "You are an unusual boy," she remarked once they had made sure that the store was secure.

He chose not to respond as he turned on the deep fryer then headed towards the refrigerator.

"Most boys would have frozen," she added. "Even Takashi hesitated when he killed his best friend, yet you were willing to kill those punks even before they announced themselves as a threat to the group. You probably even thought about killing them just to remove any possible future threat to us, right?"

"I doubt that they'll be a serious threat to us anytime soon," he replied as he ripped open a bag of French fries. "Their secondary barrier won't hold out long, and if half of them escaped unharmed by our assault on their barricade then that half will be too busy fending off Them, or repairing their defense to chase after us."

It was a logical argument, but it also ignored the fact that their bruised pride. As a man with little pride himself he did not believe it possible for them to be that upset at him to seek retribution, but were they that petty?

"Do any of you suffer from food allergies?" he asked as he pulled out a package of frozen chicken breasts.

"I do not think so," she replied, not realizing that he had been speaking into his walkie talkie.

"Good," he muttered as he accepted her answer. "The McDonald's is clear, but Shinji and Kohta should stay on guard, the rest of you can come inside." He tossed her a bag of buns. "There's cheese and lettuce, and the rest of the condiments. Set them up on the counter and start prepping some for us to bring along with us."

She nodded and did as he commanded.

Soon the rest of their group save for the snipers were inside the restaurant and had cleared out an area to sit in. Issei and Takashi stood guard at the front door, watching as Shinji and Kohta picked off any of Them that came too close to the storefront and the overpass. Kaname quickly assumed control of the kitchen, ordering Kyoko to man the fryer while Mizuki handled the grill.

With the first batch of food ready Takashi offered to take an order up to the snipers, even filling up two large cups of Gatorade with plenty of ice for the guards. Sagara scanned the news channels, marking out areas where there were reported police or military barricades as well as areas where rioting and general lawlessness had broken out.

"We should have a bag of just frozen goods," Saya suggested as she handed a bag of wrapped, warm food to Takashi. "The cooked food should last us tonight and tomorrow, but if we do manage to find shelter we can cook more of the frozen goods. We should fill our packs with food now."

Takashi and Kaname both nodded in agreement. This location had already been looted, the cash registers broken and the ready food taken, but no one had bothered to raid the refrigerators and freezers. There was no guarantee that their homes were still intact either. Having gone the previous night on just instant ramen and candy bars the group realized that they did need to start planning ahead.

Paper bags were quickly filled with cooked foods while bags of frozen chicken and patties were thrown into their packs, filling them to capacity. They ate light so that their stomachs were sated but not weighed down.

While the others packed away food, Sagara stripped his guns, reassembled them, and then refilled the spent clips for the rifles. He had not room for extra food as he had several ration bars that no one else was willing or able to stomach. The rest of his pack was filled with ammo and grenades, leaving him with the heaviest pack of the group.

"We've got several dozen of Them closing in on our position from the south and east," Kohta's voice came through on several walkie talkies.

"We're on our way," Kaname replied before zipping up her pack. The teal haired girl helped the other girls with their packs even as Sagara and Saeko rushed out of the restaurant. "Come on down."

Kohta rushed to fall into place behind the kendoka and mercenary.

Pulling out his Berettas, Sagara took aim at the closest of the zombies before eliminating them from the equation.

"I got these," Saeko stated as she dashed past him, her batons connecting with an audible crack as she shattered the skulls of the next pair of undead. They worked well as a team – her cutting down those closest to them while he thinned the crowd so that she wouldn't be overwhelmed.

There were more of Them as the group made their way north, though nothing that the hardy survivors could not handle. Rather than expending too much ammo, Sagara had shifted to using one Beretta and one baton. After only a few blocks the group had to shift tactics as their approach of traveling in a rough diamond formation allowed too many of Them to close in around the group on their sides.

Shifting into a wedge formation with Sagara and Issei at point, then Kohta and Shinji to snipe, followed by Takashi and Kaname and finally Rei and Saeko at flank to protect the inside of the wedge. Though slower it was more efficient.

By the time they broke through the crowd of undead some six blocks later the group was feeling exhausted. After another three blocks the zombies were far enough behind that they would not be an immediate threat. Still, the survivors needed to find somewhere secure to rest again.

Gone was the business district with its shops and offices, and apartments over the stores. Here and there a few small businesses dotted the street but most of the buildings were residences. A small sporting goods store drew their attention. Several dozen of Them were splayed across the street, their heads crushed by what appeared to be bats.

"We should check it out," Saeko suggested. "The batons are great, but mine are starting to show the effects of a hard day's work."

As the advanced guard she had spent a considerable time swinging her batons around. The once extendable batons were now locked in full extension as the various dents and dings kept them from retracting easily. Sure, they had enough batons to go around, but it had been clear that while she could use them Saeko was used to swinging something else.

Even with the street seemingly cleared of Them, most of the group opted to stay outside of the store. Sagara, Rei, Saeko, and Issei ventured inside, quickly sweeping the entrance to make sure that there were no surprises.

Unfortunately for them there were plenty of surprises in the store as a group of some twenty teens and a few adults milled. From the look of them he could tell that they were a high school sports team, their outfits suggested that they were baseball players.

With one hand on his gun, Sagara carefully lifted his other, "Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"We're the St. Gabrielle baseball team," the apparent leader of the boys stated. "We're just trying to find somewhere safe to hole up man, take it easy."

Sagara scanned the group. The store was filled with sporting goods but it also had a camping and outdoor section. Fittingly they were all armed with baseball bats and some even had protective gear, but what concerned him was that they were armed with the bows and arrows, crossbows, and guns. As a sporting goods store the weapons were meant for hunting, though the guns were not military grade, they could still be lethal. There was an assortment of energy bars and drinks thrown into a cooler as well as sleeping bags, cots, and even a few sleeping bags.

"We're not here to cause trouble," Rei added as she tried to ease the tension. She kept a firm hold of her spear even as she shifted into a less threatening position.

"We just want some things from the store," Sagara said as he motioned for Issei to move over to him. "We'll trade you for them. I'm Sagara, this is Issei, Rei, and Saeko."

To their credit the boys didn't appear to threaten them with some kind of show of force given their numbers. "My name's Genma," the team's speaker said. "What do you have that might interest us?"

"We've got real food," Sagara replied as he opened up Issei's pack and pulled out his bag of burgers. "Some of it's cooked, but we've also got some frozen chicken patties and hamburger, and chicken nuggets. I know you're athletes, but there's only so much you can take of the energy and protein bars, right?"

"This ain't enough for us," Genma replied as he eyed the bag.

Rei and Saeko both opened their packs, revealing still frozen bags of patties and fries.

"We just need some flashlights, a tackle box full of supplies"

"And some of the bokkens from the kendo section," Saeko interrupted Sagara.

Genma glanced back at his group. None of them objected to the deal.

"We'd also like two bows and two quivers of arrows, some rope and climbing gear, propane burners and tanks," Sagara finished. "I'll throw in a pair of Glocks and two clips of ammo."

"A real gun?" He wasn't sure who had made the remark but he knew that they were surprised.

"They're military grade," Sagara replied. "My friend's father is military." It was the truth, but only partially.

"There are more of you outside," Genma concluded as he glanced past the foursome at the broken windows.

Sagara nodded. "Do we have a deal?"

Again Genma glanced at his teammates, "Fine. Pick out the stuff you need from the racks."

With a nod he sent the others into the isles while leaving their food on the counter.

"This place is not easily defended," Sagara said once Genma slide the food over to his team. Extracting his Glocks he mercenary removed the clips and then the bullets in the chamber before setting them on the counter. "We ran into a gang of punks a few kilometers from here. They had some airsoft guns and shotguns, probably a hundred of them altogether. They'd swarm you guys easily."

"We're not planning on staying here long," Genma replied as he eyed the firearms. "We were on our way to a game when the shit hit the fan. The traffic locked up then we saw those… things attacking people in their cars. We managed to defend the bus but then we saw a gang starting to shoot anything that moved so we hightailed it. We happened to find this place last night and managed to clear those things out."

"Which way are you headed?" Sagara asked as he pulled out two maps. The first was the one he'd kept track of while the second was free of any of his marks.

"East."

"We're headed west," he pointed on his map. Pulling out a pen he copied his marks, then added a few. "Here's where the gang we ran into was, and here's the vacant McDonalds we stopped to get lunch at. We locked it up, but of course the storefront's smashed. There's still frozen food in the freezer and refrigerator, and their soda fountains were still working when we left this afternoon. We had to break through a group of perhaps a fifty zombies but there's no guarantee that they aren't still headed this way."

That gave Genma and the others a scare.

Calmly he folded up his map then shoved the other towards Genma.

"They're not good against barricades over a meter and a half tall, but it doesn't look like you've got anything that that tall to use. Your best bet is to take the ladder up to the roof, pitch your tents up there overnight, and use some ropes to create an escape route in case they do swarm this location." It was a sensible and easy defense that they boys should be able to pull off. "If I were you I'd pack any weapons you can, as well as any first aid kits you can find, some sleeping bags, and whatever food you can carry."

"You think it's that bad?" Genma asked, his formerly cool façade cracking under the burden he was now faced with.

"I'm preparing for the worst," Sagara replied. "Best case is it takes a week for this to blow over, maybe only a few more days, but from the news reports I've seen every world power has been rattled. Their military power has been compromised and everyday people like you are left without anyone else to rely on.

"Go find those important to you, and do everything in your power to keep them safe." He saw the doubt in the other boy's eyes. "Take charge of your team. Keep them together and keep them safe." He put his hand on the other boy's shoulder and gave him a firm, reassuring squeeze. "You can do this."

Genma nodded. "What do you think we'll need?"

"The Leathermans and Swiss Army knives, rope, jackets and coats, and the walkie talkies too," Sagara listed. "Scan the frequencies to make sure no one else is using yours. If you want to keep tabs on us we're on channel 13.7. Make sure everyone has their essentials packed, then fill your packs with food and water, ammo, and weapons. Find out what everyone is good at aside from baseball and use their skills appropriately. Bring extra stuff along that you can use to trade but don't expect anyone else to be as helpful as we've been."

Genma nodded again, this time his resolve was unwavering. "Thank you."

Seeing that the others had gathered everything they had needed, Sagara extended his hand to Genma. "Good luck."

The baseball captain clasped his hand and gave a firm shake, "Good luck to you too."

Little was said of what had transpired inside the sporting goods store when the foursome rejoined the rest of their group outside as the sun began to set behind the store. The group quickly decided to continue going north. After about a block the road began to climb a hill. At the top of the hill was a small park, providing them with a good view of the way they'd come and the way ahead. From this distance he could see the tents being pitched on the roof of the two store building.

"I know this park," Miss Shizuka said as she claimed a swing. "I have a friend that lives around here."

The co-leaders exchanged glances. The former school nurse had said little of use outside of tending to a few scrapes and cuts.

"I house-sit for her when she's out of town," she added airily. "It's much closer to Fujimi than my place too, so I often stay over at her place whenever we go out. It's just down the road." She pointed west causing everyone to turn so that they could look down the indicated street. The way was relatively clear; there were fewer signs of Them having been down that street, though in the distance the riverbank could be seen. "Her apartment has a great view of the riverbank and has private parking."

Reinvigorated, the group set off towards the promise of a safe place to sleep. Many of the properties were hidden behind meter tall fences and a few had tall hedge behind the fences. A handful of the houses were barricaded, though there were more with broken windows and bloody trails through the yards and gates. Here and there one of Them would shamble through a gateway or through a hedge only for Saeko or Rei to bash it. Still, it occurred enough that the group had decided to travel in the middle of the road rather than walking along the sidewalks.

As they ventured closer to the river they could see some of Them banging on windows and doors. Sagara would even swear that he had seen one of Them trying to put a key into the key hole of the door it was assailing. It almost appeared as though this were an ordinary day, almost. The red handprints on the otherwise pristine walls, windows, or fences as well as the crimson trails and broken windows were quick to dispel that illusion.

Then there were the various wounds that They had. Necks bent at unnatural angles, bloody shirts and pants, some had knives still sticking out of them, and a good number had what looked to be bloody bandages that had probably covered bites that had eventually turned them into Them.

Even with the sun slowly setting behind the horizon the lights along the riverbank illuminated the street. The not so distant hum of honking horns and people shouting suggested that the bridges had been barricaded by the remains of the police department as an attempt to contain the spread reanimated the dead. They were fortunate that Miss Shizuka's friend lived perhaps a kilometer or so from the nearest bridge as the street was clear of any traffic. Unfortunately that did not mean that there weren't any of Them around.

Several dark patches and buzzing swarms of flies suggested that a dozen or more residents had met their grizzly demise inside the gated complex. The fact that the complex was locked up suggested that there were plenty of Them still inside.

The complex itself was not that of a typical apartment setup. Unlike the ones that he and Kaname lived in, there was not an open plaza on the ground floor where all of the residents needed to pass through on their way to their individual apartments. This was a higher end complex that took up the entire block. Three meter brick walls enclosed the block with two gates on opposite sides of the block, and a guard house attached to each gate. The central building was a giant rectangle two stories tall comprised of eight attached townhouses each with their own individual entrance and garage. The garage itself took up a third of the first floor.

Once they secured the apartment, Sagara, Takashi, Issei, Rei, and Saeko decided to clear out the rest of the complex while also checking for survivors and for additional supplies. The first apartment had been completely vacant as the new tenants had yet to move in. The next was empty save for bloody hand and foot prints that lead into the third apartment. The third had six of Them waiting for the quintet. All of Them had been adults, but the teens made quick work of them without having to resort to their firearms. The fourth and fifth apartments had also been empty of any movement, though the sixth and seventh showed that the undead craved flesh from warm blooded creatures as the group found the remains of a pair of dogs while the arowanas in the seventh apartment were unmolested but the green and yellow birds had not been so fortunate.

* * *

><p>AN

I think I'll leave things here for now.

Dreamingfox


	6. Chapter 6

Small victories were still victories, it was a lesson Sagara had learned early in life. Simply surviving the day was a victory in itself, especially considering the kind of day that they had endured.

While the bulk of the girls were holed up on the second floor bathing and refreshing themselves, Sagara kept his ears on the radio. Unlike the news reported on the TV and what little seemed to get out onto the internet, the antiquated radio allowed him to track the movements of the police and military.

It was of great concern to him that Wraith had not contacted him since the outbreak had first begun, but it was even more unnerving to know that no one from Mithril had attempted to contact him inspite of the short transmissions he'd sent while at the McDonalds and at the smuggler's warehouse had thus far gone unanswered.

What little he had gleaned from the radio was that the bulk of the JDF was intact but spread thin trying to assist the various police stations. The countryside was as yet unaffected, but the major cities in Japan were being locked down to prevent the spread of the biological agent.

Similar outbreaks had occurred throughout the world in most major cities, though the ones that were hardest hit were the ones with military bases. Many were calling it the largest coordinated assault the world had ever seen.

"Gauron," Sagara growled as he lowered the volume on his receiver. There was only one group capable of pulling off such an attack – Amalgam. Gauron had been one of their top men, until he'd gone off the deep end and tried to start the third world war. It wouldn't be beyond him to have set something like this up in the event that he had died.

"Tea?"

Lost in his thoughts he'd failed to register the kendoka's presence in the garage. "No thanks," he finally replied.

The long day had exhausted most of the combined group. The girls had claimed the lone bedroom for the seven of them, leaving the five boys to lounge in the living room. Kohta and Shinji were taking turns on watch, while Issei and Takashi were packing. He'd volunteered to scavenge the other garages for things they could use.

The apartments themselves had provided them with no resources other than access to another vehicle, but Miss Shizuka's friend had surprised them. Not only had the woman owned several different weapons and have the ammo for them, she also drove a Humvee. The modified SUV was ill suited for Japan's narrow roads and towered over even most full-sized vans. As big as it was though it would not hold all of them. While designed to seat six, it could hold more. That's where the two motor bikes came in. Designed to go off-road, they were quick and nimble making them ideal for the group's scouts. The only other viable option had been the Hilux which would mean that Sagara would have to drive the Humvee and Shizuka would have to drive the Hilux while Takashi rode a bike as scout. Logistically that would just throw their formation off too much.

A toolbox full of tools had been added to their things. Shinji didn't look the part, but he was a mechanic at heart. His nearly intimate knowledge of Arm Slaves combined with his time around the military had resulted in him not only being a skilled sniper but a quality mechanic as well. Kohta was better with firearms, but he also knew his way around a set of tools. Kaname and Saya were also both highly intelligent people capable of reading a repair manual while he was good at improvising things.

"Who's going to ride those?" Saeko asked as she eyed the loot.

"I can handle one," he replied. "Takashi said he can manage the other. That should save some room in the back of the Hummer."

As he'd told Genma at the sports store, he'd started assessing everyone's skill sets and tried to put them to use. While Kaname and Takashi were the accepted co-leaders, their hearts and minds were still not completely in the game so to say.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Saeko asked as she watched him check the engine.

The answer was obvious and did not need to be stated verbally as he checked the fluid levels.

"I have to say I was surprised how level headed you've been about everything," she added. "You're not surprised by anything."

"It is one thing to be surprised, and another thing to let it get to you," he replied as he set the bike next to the entrance. Even with the gates to the compound closed he opted to play things safe and not leave anything that might draw attention to their location out in the open. They'd seen two types of people this past day, who was to say what they would encounter next time.

"You knew that we were headed into a trap," she remarked. "And you let us walk into it then turned it around on them."

"I chose the best course of action given the scenario," he stated. "Kaname"

"Knows what you're capable of, those of us from Fujimi do not." She stood before him, her arms crossed beneath her ample breasts, almost daring him, but daring him to what?

He stood straight and tall, "Trust me to use the right amount of force for whatever situation we find ourselves in. No one wants to lose any more than we already have, but I know that sacrifices may need to be made. Had we simply opened fire on them before speaking with them they might have been able to get their wits together and counter-attack. Engaging them in conversation allowed us to get a better read of what they had, or at least what they were presenting.

"The situation at the store was different. Genma and his team were not standing in our way so much as they simply had things in their possession that we wanted. The trade was mutually beneficial and prevented each side from incurring any casualties."

She nodded, not breaking his gaze. "You speak like a soldier."

"I am a soldier. Despite my apparent age I have been one for much of my life. The world beyond Japan is not a peaceful, safe world."

"So it is," she ceded with a slight bow. "Within the shadows there are many dangers. Once, on my way home from kendo practice I was assaulted by a man. He sought to rape me, so I took action against him. I used my bokken to defend myself" she lowered her hands, tapping the hilt of one of her newly acquired weapons that was strapped to her hip. "I broke his leg."

It was an unusual statement.

"As a soldier, how many times have you had to kill someone?" she finally asked, her eyes darting to his holster.

"I've lost count." In truth he never really thought about it. The only kills that had bothered him were the multiple times when he'd failed to kill Gauron and the one time that he finally killed his evil tormentor.

"Was there any difference between the battlefield and what you did today?"

He shook his head.

"I've been in countless bouts and matches," she stated. "I've felt the rush of adrenaline in competition, but the rush I felt then when I was beating him…. The rush I felt today… It was exhilarating."

Ah, there it was. There were many soldiers who were never the same after they took a life, even in the defense of their own or of their comrades. But there were a select few who relished it.

"I'm afraid," she whispered huskily.

He'd secretly enjoyed killing Gauron. It had been like the action heroes in the movies who had thrown some smart quip as they executed the antagonist of the movie – a sign that the hero would not be troubled by their enemy's death but also that they were glad to end that person's life. It was something that he hoped to never feel again not only because he dreaded having another enemy of Gauron's caliber, but because he did not want to enjoy killing someone. He did not want to turn into Gauron.

Before yesterday he'd come to terms with what and who he was. He accepted that he would never be the peaceful idealist that Kaname had wanted him to be, not if he wanted to keep her safe. He was not like Al, a tool of war, but a soldier who capable of deciding whom to defend and protect.

It dawned on him then that she was not wearing her bloody school uniform. The apron that she wore covered her, but just barely.

"I'm afraid that I might lose control."

Her words struck him. He'd lost control in those final moments with Gauron and it had nearly cost him his life. The bomb that had been rigged to go off once the death dealer's heart had died had escaped his attention because he'd been so caught up in confronting and then killing his rival. "I won't let you."

An awkward, honest smile was all that he allowed himself to think of as he left the garage. Her smile at that moment had been the trigger to unlocking her mask, to her seeing past him for who he really was. He would always remember the garage.

Over the past year he'd tried to open up to Kaname but despite the things that she had seen and experienced she had always tried to make him believe in her shining paradise rather than seeing the darker, deadlier world that he existed in. Yes, her paradise was enticing, but deep down he knew that he could never truly embrace that world. There were moments when he could enjoy the little things in life – even times when he could forget his worries, but ultimately he had to come back to who he was. He would always be a soldier, a killer.

* * *

><p>"Man, that's crazy," the plump boy muttered in astonishment as he listened to one of Shinji's wild tales. "I can't believe you guys managed to subdue him like that!"<p>

The scrawny military brat smirked, "I thought that the beating that Kaname put on him was intense but the truth is had we not fallen from the balcony she'd probably have killed us. I'd never seen anyone take a German Suplex other than on a wrestling show, but, wow, she's a beast when you get her angry. The Incredible Hulk's got nothing on her."

Guard duty had been relatively easy for the pair. His love of Arm Slaves was often the first thing that his classmates knew about him, easily leading them to forget that he was also an avid photographer and cameraman. When the others had focused on the weapons at the smuggler's storehouse he had been busy gathering several remote cameras and hooked them up to a laptop. While out on patrol he had managed to patch his laptop into the complex's CCTV so that he and Kohta could sit on the balcony to monitor the streets around the building.

Of course he had not dared to plant one of his own stolen cameras in the bathroom – that had been all Kohta. While they had some good shots of the girls undressing, there had been too much steam to get any good images.

With the girls now out of the bathroom and inhabiting the bedroom there was no reason for them to activate the bathroom camera. Talk quickly turned to how well they each knew the girls from their respective schools and then of the others in their party.

Kohta actually knew very little of his schoolmates. While Saya and Rei were both in his year Rei had just recently been held back as she was originally in Takashi's year. He only knew of Saya in class and she was far too rich and stuck up to have hung out with the bullied boy.

Shinji could relate to that. Before Sagara had arrived at Jindai he'd been the one the others had picked on. That had changed once Sagara's antics had frightened off even the most hardened of the school's bullies.

Kyoko was the class rep's best friend and was often hiding in the other girl's shadow. Lost in Kaname's wake few bothered to pay any attention to her. Mizuki, well, she also fell under that banner, though she was the more lively of Kaname's friends, she had once been Kaname's enemy and recently turned friend. Issei did not travel in the same circle as Shinji, though he had interacted with Kaname and Sagara.

Everything came back to Sagara for Shinji. It had been Sagara who had prevented the scrawny cameraman from stealing Kaname's panties, which had led to their fast friendship. For some weird reason Kaname and Sagara had become fast friends as well though it was often a love-hate relationship as the two sought to work together but ended up at odds.

"I can see why your upperclassmen thought that about her though," Kohta snickered. "Saya, Rei, and Saeko are definitely exceptions at Fujimi, but Kaname's got something about her too. Myself, I like girls like Kyoko. There's something to be said about quiet girls."

Sitting out on the balcony the snipers were having a good time. They'd each had a beer, having managed to slip two cans out of the kitchen before Miss Shizuka had checked the refrigerator. While they did not enjoy the taste it did help ease the tensions in their shoulders and back. The Cokes they were presently enjoying were more to their liking though.

The sound of a dog barking ended their conversation, prompting Kohta to take up his rifle. Looking through the scope he scanned the street even as Shinji checked the displays on the laptop's monitor.

"Two blocks south," Kohta whispered. He'd seen several small groups of Them headed north, some even passing by the apartment complex they were now inhabiting, but when he'd seen a few of them turning to head back south he knew that They had found something.

"Just a dog?" the other boy asked.

"Shit!" Kohta exclaimed. "Looks like a dad and his kid are trying to force their way past a barricaded door. The people holed up aren't going to be happy that they've led some of Them right to their doorstep."

"We've spotted a situation," Shinji said into his walkie.

"What is it?" it was no surprise that Sagara was the first to respond.

"Two survivors are making their way down the street – a man and what looks to be his kid," the sniper explained. "The dad's trying to break down someone's barricade. They're just over two blocks south of us."

"How many of Them?"

"I count a baker's dozen, but more are coming down the street towards them," Kohta replied.

"Did you put the silencer on the Savage?" the mercenary asked.

"Yeah," Shinji replied.

"Permission to clear the street?" Sagara asked, waiting for Takashi or Kaname to object.

"Permission granted," Takashi's voice chimed in.

"Saeko's in the garage with me, she'll man the gate." The roar of an engine silenced everything else as Sagara sped out of the garage. His skill on a bike was unquestioned as he drove it up a wooden ramp/plank. For a heart-stopping moment he was airborne then he landed the bike expertly. With one hand controlling the bike he executed each of Them in his way.

Pulling up the sniper rifle Shinji took aim, taking out the closest zombies to the man and child. By now it was clear that they knew that help was coming. Abandoning the barricade the man led the child back onto the street as several more zombies fell around them.

Beneath the snipers Saeko rushed to the guard house. She was soon joined by Issei and Takashi as the two boys rushed to assist.

The sound of the bike's engine died down as Sagara reached the pair. "I've got them."

Shinji laid down covering fire, while Kohta cleared the entrance. It felt like an hour, but was probably closer to five minutes. By the time that Sagara returned the gate was open. Letting the rescued pair off, he sped off once again.

"What are you doing?" It was Kaname and clearly she was not happy. From the window in bedroom she'd seen him leave.

"He's drawing Their attention away from here," Saeko explained. "He's going to lead them away, lose them, then cut the engine before making his way back here. Shinji, keep an eye on him. Kohta, make sure that no one else approaches the back gate."

"Shit," the plump boy cursed as he slung his rifle over his shoulder. Climbing the rope ladder that they had managed to put up was not fun, nor was the trek over the rooftop of the apartment building, yet it was far faster than having him go down to ground level, enter the apartment on the far side of the complex and get up to the balcony.

With the gate closed once again Saeko pulled out the bow. The hankyu that she'd picked up at the sporting goods store was new and needed to be tamed as evident by the her first wild shot that sunk into her target's neck. Her second shot though went through her target's eye. Takashi quickly led the man and child into the apartment while Issei moved the plank/ramp to give Sagara a way in.

The sound of the bike's tires squealing in the distance as Sagara performed a donut in an intersection drew the attention of any zombies within a few blocks. The few that ambled by the gates of the apartment either failed to notice Saeko or had opted to go for the target that was not behind a sturdy gate.

In a matter of minutes there were none of Them in the street as Sagara led them further away. Using his scope Shinji tried to keep track of the mercenary, but after a kilometer all he could see was the tail end of the horde.

* * *

><p>"There he is!" Urzu 6 proclaimed. "I've got his signal."<p>

"Where is he?" the Captain demanded. Though she was far from the bridge of the Tuatha de Danaan she knew that she needed to look out for the handful of her subordinates that remained.

"He's just at the edge of my range, and he's moving quick," the SRT Sargent stated. "Permission to go after him?"

It was a tough decision. With only three members of the SRT she did not want to further weaken their group. Then again, an M9 should be more than capable of dealing with anything that was coming out of this chaos. "Negative," she finally replied. "You've already reached the edge of our defensive perimeter. Our priority is to rescue any crew from the Tuatha de Danaan first, then establish a base of operations. We cannot do that with only three people."

"Understood," Kurz replied curtly. He understood that the SRT was the only unit able to move freely within the city as the ECS allowed them to move about undetected. It also helped that the zombies could not breech the M9's armor. Still, there was only so much that they could do as the third generation Arm Slaves had only enough fuel for a day. Collecting survivors and supplies was the first priority. Sagara would have to wait until then.

* * *

><p>The feel of the nighttime air rushing past his face as he coasted down the hill felt refreshing. While he was not going as fast as when he'd initially run from Them he knew that running the motor would attract Them. By allowing gravity to do the bulk of the work he was not only saving fuel but keeping Them from following him back.<p>

"All clear," he heard Shinji's voice over the air rushing by his ear. "The gate's open."

Steering the bike clear of the few slick patches of blood on the pavement and other debris in the street he felt a sense of relief flood him as he spotted the trio of teens guarding the open gate. Issei smirked behind his thick glasses, holding his fist out for a fist-bump while Saeko and Takashi both shook their heads.

Once the gate was closed and they were in the safety of the apartment Kaname greeted him with playful smack to the back of his head even as Takashi introduced him to the survivors he'd rescued. "This is Akito Maresato and his daughter Alice."

The businessman bowed his head, "Thank you for saving us."

"It was not just me," Sagara replied as he put his hands on the man's arms to pull him upright. "We as a whole decided to save you and your daughter."

"You have our gratitude," Akito said as he fought back tears.

"Why don't I take Alice to use the bath," Shizuka said as she took the girl's hand. "She looks like she needs one before bed."

The little red head looked up at her father. Akito smiled then nodded, watching as the school nurse, Kyoko, and Mizuki led her up to the bedroom and bath.

"Akito was neighbors to my friend Imamuru," Takashi stated once the girls' footsteps could no longer be heard on the stairs. "They lived east of Fujimi."

The man nodded, "We lived near two hospitals. I remember hearing that some military men had been admitted to the hospital. The base was supposed to unveil the new XM9 Arm Slaves so the men were probably celebrating. Anyways, I was on my way to dropping Alice off at school when Hell literally broke loose. I thought there'd been an accident during the unveiling because there were men and women covered in blood, then I realized that they were attacking anyone who came to help them. No, they weren't attacking them - they were trying to eat them."

"Why don't you guys have a seat?" Kohta interrupted. "We've already heard the abridged version, so we're going to resume our watch."

Sagara watched as Kohta dragged Shinji to the refrigerator so that they could take some drinks and snacks before they headed back out to the balcony. 'His father was probably involved with showing off the new XM9,' he thought as he watched the scrawny boy depart.

The mercenary was running on auto-pilot as he took in Akito's tale of personal loss and then of flight. The man's first impulse had been to save his wife. She had been a nurse at the hospital. Unfortunately he had found only her bloody nametag and a pile of gnawed on bones at her work station. The infected had been too busy consuming their victims to care about those who ran into the hospital, though some of Them had chased him and Alice until they found easier pray. With an entire hospital of sick and injured it was unlikely that the zombies would chase healthy pray too far. It was only after they had consumed the easy meals that they had started going after other prey.

The police had of course responded, but they could not deal with the sheer numbers that they faced. When faced with using lethal force they had been trained, but most were trained to shoot their attacker's body. While effective against the living it was ineffective against the animated dead. Head shots were usually lethal but far harder to hit unless one was trained for it.

As a highly trained operative Sagara was better than most, but even he had missed three out of ten times the previous day despite the fact that They were moving at a slow shuffle. He was best when he'd stopped, set his feet, and then took aim, not when he was running.

Given his own experience he was not surprised that the police had been overwhelmed. Had they known what they were rushing into they might have stood a better chance, but that would have cost them precious time as well, allowing the infected to kill even more civilians and spread their disease.

"We should all get some rest," Kaname stated after Akito had told them of the multiple houses that they'd sought help from.

It was no surprise that no one else had been willing to let total strangers in. Had their group not been armed he would have been against attempting to rescue them much less taking them in.

"Takashi, let's go relieve Kohta and Shinji," he found himself saying as he got up.

"Issei, why don't you take Akito to apartment 8 to wash up then grab the mattresses and bring them back here?" Kaname asked the martial artist. "We'll come up to relieve Sagara and Takashi around 3."

By the time they reached the balcony Sagara could feel the exhaustion beginning to set in. He'd over exerted himself in the garage and the adrenaline rush he'd received while saving Akito and Alice had long since worn off.

Shinji and Kohta had each finished their drinks, the empty beer cans an indication that they too were feeling worn out by what they had endured and by the many unknowns that still remained.

"Shinji," he began to say only for his friend so shake his head.

"My dad may not have been a pilot, but he would not abandon his men," the scrawny youth said as he stood tall. "If he died, then he died an honorable death, a hero's death."

To his credit the boy refused to shed any tears as he looked up at Sagara.

"He once told me 'We do not mourn heroes'," Shinji forced out with a twinge of emotion. "'We celebrate their lives and honor the choices that they made.'"

Sagara nodded once before bending down to grab the remains of the six-pack. Cracking them open, he handed them out to each of them. "This isn't for those who died," Sagara stated. "This is for what we've managed to do today. That we have lived to see another sunset is a victory – here's to us!"

Once their beers were finished and Shinji explained the monitor and CCTV, the two snipers retreated to the living room. The extra futons that Issei and Akito retrieved would be useful, sparing them from sleeping on the hard floor in favor of the mattresses and couches while the girls filled the bedroom.

"You surprised me," Takashi said once the two were alone. "Kaname's been going on about how you're a military otaku, but seeing you in action… wow… how do you fit your balls in your pants."

"I've found that having big balls just means that one is either overcompensating, has a death wish, or has too much pent up testosterone," he replied. "Everything I did today was well within my ability, and the ability of our combined group."

That stopped the other boy in his tracks. Finally, "How do you do it? How do you stay calm in such terrifying situations?"

"I've faced worse," Sagara shot back. "Like I told you before, the world outside of this bubble that burst yesterday is not the peaceful world that you thought it was. To survive one has to be able to stay calm and not let their fears overwhelm them."

He could feel Takashi's eyes studying him, re-examining him. "I am sure that Kaname has told you as much about me as she can. What you have to understand is that her view, and perhaps your view of the world, is vastly different than mine.

"Those punks that we saw today are as bad today as they were last week. The only difference is that this week they find themselves freed from the shackles of civilization, or at least the civilization that they dislike. They probably have their own rules and laws within their group, but the laws of the government and society are not the ones that they want to follow.

"The rioters we've seen are like the punks, but their rules are closer to those of society and civility than the biker gang. The looters that we avoided, they were probably normal people like you were last week. But with the chaos erupting around them they've resorted to taking what they need to ensure their survival just as we did when we took food from the McDonalds and the smuggler.

"The world is slowly changing. More and more people are finding themselves free of the old order and their laws. It's up to people like you and Kaname to retain order within our group."

Again Takashi took a moment to consider his words. "You would have let Akito and Alice die if we hadn't approved of you going?"

Sagara nodded.

"And if we were to order you to your death?"

"I might object, but if I thought that it was necessary I would do what was necessary." It was a stark, brutal truth.

* * *

><p>With the addition of two new members to their group it was not surprise that their plans had to be adjusted. The Humvee and the Hilux were both packed full yet allowed most of their group to be seated comfortably. Miss Shizuka was the only one other than Sagara who could drive the hulking SUV, leaving Mr. Maresato to drive the Hilux, while Sagara and Takashi took the motorbikes. Shinji would be the gunner for the Humvee while Saya rode shotgun along with Issei, Kyoko and Kaname. Kohta would be shotgun for the Hilux, with Rei, Saeko, Mizuki, and Alice in back.<p>

At least that had been the plan.

"It's safe here," Mr. Maresato stated. "The other apartments have plenty of food and supplies for us to hole up here."

"But we need to see if our parents are alright," Takashi pleaded.

"The phones are working," Mizuki countered. "Sure, the line to the police and emergency services keeps repeating the same thing, but the other numbers work."

"Just because your parents are fine doesn't mean that ours are," Rei snapped at the other girl. "We haven't been able to contact our parents and we want to know that they're alright."

What no one wanted to say was that their parents were most likely dead.

"It's safe here," Miss Shizuka reiterated. "I know that when we left the high school it was because we weren't safe. But we are here. You've cleared Them out of the complex, the gate and wall around us will hold, and we have plenty of food."

"Is there any guarantee that you'll get us to Sagara's and that it'll be safer?" Mizuki added. "We've already lost so much…." Her voice faltered, silencing everyone as they all considered those who were no longer with them.

With a sideways glance Kaname urged Sagara to speak up. "Give us a few hours and some of the food and we can make this place safe for those who want to stay." From the look in her eyes it was not what she'd wanted him to say.

The fortifications were completed by 9am. The back gate was completely barricaded while the primary gate was fortified so that only a tank or AS could breech it. It was a lot for the five who remained to look after but it gave them a fighting chance.

"Take care of yourself," Issei stated as he offered his hand to his former rival turned friend.

The loss of the skilled martial artist would hurt, but given his short-sightedness it was best that he remain somewhere familiar rather than moving around constantly. He alone would bolster the defense of the apartment complex beyond virtually any traps or fortifications that Sagara could rig on the fly.

"You too," the mercenary returned as he clasped the young man's hand.

"Remember," Kaname said as she hugged Mizuki, Alice, and Shizuka, "we're on channel 13.7, okay? Don't forget to let us know if you need anything."

"You'll always be welcome here," Akito said as he shook each of the boys' hands.

"We know," Takashi replied.

There was much that they all wanted to say, but the travelers knew that they needed to hit the road. While the boys had been fortifying the gate and the apartment the girls had been taking driving lessons with Miss Shizuka. The Hilux and the Civic were packed full of their things while leaving enough room for the riders while leaving Takashi and Sagara free to scout on the bikes. While they had confidence in Saya and Kaname's driving skills it had become clear to all of them that they would need to take a slower pace than they had liked.

When the travelers finally departed there were many glances behind at those that they left behind, not because they had been lost, but because they were not sure if they would see them again. The roar of the motorbikes' engines soon drew Them out as the group made their way north.

'At least there will be less of Them for the others to deal with,' Takashi thought as he focused on the road ahead.

Sagara's thoughts were not focused on who or what they were leaving behind so much as he was about the unfortunate fates of some of those whom he had passed by the previous night. There had been at least three out of five houses that had been barricaded when he'd led Them away from the apartment complex, yet there were more of Them spilling out of many of those houses as the two scouts made their way up the street.

"This isn't right," he muttered as he slowed his bike down. While he had turned well ahead of the edge of the jammed roads around the nearest bridge there had been evidence of at least several hundred people trying to cross the bridge. Now there were only empty cars and blood, lots of blood. "What have I done?"


	7. Chapter 7

The scent of death and destruction was not alien to the mercenary. The bridge had been sickening, twisting even his hardened stomach. It was clear that the barricade on the other end had been breached and They had gotten through, but how many survivors had managed to escape? Corpses lined the river bank, many of Them stirring at the sound of the engines as their group of survivors sped past.

Had he bothered to look behind him Sousuke would have seen the steadily growing crowd of Them following in their wake. The closest were just emerging from the broken and sometimes burnt remains of riverside homes, but the bulk were nearly a kilometer back filling the entire street.

By noon the group had left Them several kilometers behind as well as found a spot where they could ford the river. Turning back south the scouts saw Them on the other side of the river; some of Them even began to cross the river only to be swept away by the current. Though the river was narrower the further south they headed it was far deeper. Things would change with the next large rainfall as the river would swell so that it could not be forded and its crest would nearly reach the bottom of the bridge.

The survivors headed north knowing that that they were leaving the others further behind. With the roads clear the group stopped for lunch, raiding an already looted gas station and filling up their vehicles in the process. It was Takashi who pointed out that Saya's family was closest to their current location, leading the group to head west.

There were more signs that They had passed through the area as a few houses had been barricaded and there was evidence that They had claimed more than a few victims. Still, there were a good number of houses and businesses that were barricaded. As the group passed many of those structures They moved into the streets to pursue the teens rather than continue pushing themselves against the barricades.

Sousuke and Takashi made use of their batons as they road ahead, taking aim not at the heads of the handful of zombies that came close to them but their legs. The reanimated dead felt no pain, but a broken leg severely hampered their ability to chase after someone. The thick leather jacket/Kevlar vest and biker helmets protected them from Them so long as there were only a few around the pair. As they rode further west though they were forced to ride more evasively and to use their handguns to thin out the number of Them in the streets.

Slowly but surely the group made their way west, leaving the riverbank far behind even as they encountered more signs that They had preceded them. After an hour the pair of scouts was forced to trail behind the Hilux and Civic as the group used the SUV to carve a path through the street. Simply trying to lead Them away was no longer an option as there were several houses that dotted each street that had signs of survivors barricaded behind their fences. If They stood in the group's way then the group needed to deal with Them, not push Them off onto someone else.

The high fences mixed with tall hedges hid plenty of Them and the sound of their engines drew Them out from the houses and into the street. What had once been a scattered handful had slowly become several dozen. Sousuke wasn't sure how much more the Hilux could endure as the constant collisions were sure to rattle the civilian vehicle's parts. Even military vehicles like the Humvee could only take so much jarring and rattling before they broke down.

Suddenly the Hilux swerved abruptly, sliding on the slick pavement before coming to a halt against something. Sousuke cursed as the Civic narrowly avoided colliding with the SUV. The narrow road did not allow for even the Civic to turn completely around, leaving the small car perpendicular to the road.

Pulling to a halt Sousuke reached for his guns. Taking careful aim he started to unload the firearms into the crowd of Them that filled the street. Takashi was also unloading his shotgun into the crowd, aiming for the thickest group before firing. Some of Them went down for good, but most were just knocked off of their feet. Still, it was slowing down the zombies' approach. Shinji and Kohta's muffled rifles joined the fray, mowing more of the zombies down, but they were fighting a losing battle. The unexpected roadblock had been hidden by the mass of zombies that had been milling about in the street. This was not a trap as the biker gang had set up, this was a defensive measure. Even as it kept the zombies out it also prevented the SUV and car from going any further.

Taking in the area Sousuke considered their options. Revving his engine he headed straight into the thickest group, leading them away from the car and SUV. Through his padding and body armor he could feel several hands groping at him as They tried to dislodge him as he passed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kaname demanded.

He had not time to respond to her as he steered himself clear of a cluster of Them. In the midst of over two dozen of them he flipped on his walkie, "Just take out the ones closest to you."

"What are you doing?" Kyoko's voice cut in.

Taking his hand off of the walkie he revved the engine and began to perform a screeching donut in the middle of the intersection. With most of Them focused on him Sousuke reached into his back pack and pulled out several grenades. The first he lobbed at the largest group of Them between him and the others, "Fire in the hole!"

While not enough to stop Them, the explosion knocked most off their feet and injured most enough to hinder their attempts to get at the teens. Two more grenades flew through the air before he headed back towards the others.

He'd bought the others in the car and SUV enough time to evacuate the vehicles. Using the Hilux the girls managed to climb onto the three meter tall wall on one side of the road to circumvent the barb wire fence that had been hastily erected in the middle of the street. The vehicles were a loss, along with most of their extra supplies, but the girls would live.

Perched atop the wall as they were the girls cold not fire their shotguns at the horde of zombies without falling off, leaving the boys in a fix as they ran out of ammo in their clips.

"Reload," Kohta shouted as he ejected his spent clip.

Kaname tossed the plump sniper a clip for his rifle even as Saya reached into her pack for a second clip for Shinji. The teal haired girl's athletic abilities were proving to be very useful as she accurately tossed the clips across the street without unbalancing her position on the wall.

"I'm out," Takashi declared as he tossed his spent shotgun up to Rei. Saya tossed him hers. The non-lethal rounds would not stop any of Them, but it would help buy the group time by knocking Them off of their feet.

With Sousuke's help Shinji was able to climb the opposite wall before laying on top to take aim with his rifle. Sousuke quickly joined him. The wall was a good half meter wide, providing them with ample footing.

On the other side of the street Rei had advanced down the street as she attempted to lure some of Them away from Kohta and Takashi. Spear in hand she began to thin the crowd, careful not to let any of Them grab hold of her weapon. Saeko had taken out her bow and was picking some of Them off as well, giving the boys time to climb atop the Hilux and onto the wall.

With the group out of the zombies' reach Sousuke tapped Shinji with his foot.

Kaname was the first of the girls to spot the approach of the masked men. Most were adorned in flame thrower suits though a few wore firefighter suits. Holding his guns cautiously he watched as the newcomers stopped over a dozen meters away from the teens. One figure made her way past the others, extending her hands out to the side to signal that the others put their weapons down before she reached up to remove her headpiece.

"We heard some commotion and knew that it had to be survivors." The voice was definitely feminine but had an air of authority to it. "We weren't sure what to expect when we heard gunfire and explosions though. I never expected my daughter to have associated herself with someone who actually employed firearms and grenades though. Saya's always struck me as someone who'd rather melt guns down than use them."

The woman's red hair was a bit darker than her daughter's, but they shared cheek bones, jawline, and ears.

Surrounded by allies, only Sousuke remained guarded. As the others began retelling and sharing their experiences with the adults the mercenary checked his inventory and filled his emptied clips. Kohta and Shinji quickly followed suit as the teens were marched towards the Takagi residence.

"You won't need those where we're going," one of the men stated as he eyed the three teens and their seemingly impressive collection of weapons. "The Takagi compound is the safest place you could be right now. It was because of them that we were able to set up a defensive perimeter around the neighborhood and keep everyone safe."

"You don't know how hard it is to separate Sousuke from his guns," Kaname interrupted the man. "I've only known him for about a year and I can tell you it's easier to take a gun out of Charlton Heston's cold, dead hands."

The man blinked, unsure of the reference to the American actor turned gun lobbyist.

"Shinji's father is military, so he knows about firearms too," she added. "And Kohta's pretty good with them too."

Saya cast them a sympathetic look but it was her mother who ended that conversation with a knowing nod that prompted the men to allow the teens to carry their packs and weapons.

The Takagi's residence was not hard to find as it was the complex near the top of the hill. After walking only a few blocks the group could see the four meter tall walls that separated their complex from the city around it. In truth all of the houses in this area of the city were luxurious, but the Takagi's dwarfed them all. It was easily three times the size of the apartment complex that they had spent the previous night at, with each of the neighboring residences easily just as large as the apartment. There were many properties with a second house intended to house security though most were simply large houses with spacious yards behind wrought iron gates and tall brick and mortar fences.

Glancing down the streets it was clear that each street had been barricaded, some with barb wired, others with cement dividers that were used in construction, others with overturned cars. As the group marched towards the Takagi residence they spotted several groups consisting of men and women in fire-retardant suits, as well as a few accompanying tractors or forklifts.

While things appeared relatively normal there was a frantic air about the area. There were no blood stains anywhere, no broken windows, fence gates tied shut, or piles of furniture barricading windows, but there were plenty of people rushing here and there, most in the bulky fire-retardant suits.

The fact that the elder Takagi led the group into the family's estate and mansion did little to ease Sousuke's concerns.

"What's going on here?" Saya finally asked once the group was alone with her mother.

"I'm taking you up to your room so that you and your friends can relax a bit."

"That's not what I mean," the pinkette replied.

"You were expecting a nuclear strike, weren't you?" Sousuke asked.

Saya's mother turned to look him over, "You've picked up a very observant friend – and well-armed too. He doesn't look like someone that attends Fujimi though."

"We went to Jindai," Kaname interjected.

The woman's keen eyes narrowed as she looked at the quartet of Jindai survivors. "That does make sense – some of our constituents always bring up incidents that happen at Jindai as examples of what would happen if we loosened the gun-control laws."

Kaname buried her face in her palm, shaking her head, "I knew that was bound to happen." Taking a deep breath she stood tall. "Don't judge us because one idiot manages to sneak guns onto school grounds."

"It is good that those incidents are the result of only one person, but it's also unfortunate that only one person has the wherewithal to prepare himself for the worst case scenario." The usually unshakable Kaname balked at the woman's apparent praise of Sousuke. "Given all that's happened we did expect a nuclear war to break out, not a biological one. I know that science has advanced much in the past decade, but no one expected anything like this.

"When we heard that military bases had been hit we locked down the premises. Once we had our people prepared we set up a precautionary boundary. The police were too busy setting up barricades at the bridges to care about what our people were doing."

"It helps that you are a prominent right-wing politician," Kaname interjected. "With your own security force rather than the state provided security."

"It does," the woman admitted. "We've been moving our staffers and security into the neighborhood or at least into the adjacent neighborhoods, those who don't live on the premises that is."

"And the bunker?" Kaname asked.

"A remnant of the second World War," the redhead replied. "We've had modifications to it of course. My father-in-law expanded it so that it could withstand a nuclear blast, but we added generators, store-rooms and living quarters large enough to house a hundred survivors. Fortunately it was not a nuclear attack and we will be able to use the entire property."

"Which is of course self-sufficient," Kaname surmised. "I'm guessing that you have a large greenhouse, water filtration system, solar panels and wind turbines."

"How long have you been preparing this shit?!" exclaimed Saya. "I knew you two were crazy but this… this is beyond anything that I thought you were capable of!"

"Your father's family has long been concerned about the state of the world," her mother replied. "While we have taken steps to enlighten the nation about our concerns we also managed to pass local legislation that allowed us to take the steps necessary to prepare for the worst.

"Had you been here during school you would have seen the constant construction for what it was rather than just believing it to be a display of our opulence and flaunting our wealth. As it turns out our fear that humanity was close to exterminating itself were justified and the shelter that we've constructed will play a role in rebuilding not only this nation but the world."

"So it was more important to you that you have the foundation to rebuild the world as you see it than to save your own daughter?" the pinkette demanded.

There was obvious hurt in the woman's eyes as she gazed at her daughter. Many of the other teens had turned away, unwilling to intrude on this personal moment between mother and daughter.

"You have to realize that we've done everything in our power to find you," the elder Takagi finally said. "I hoped that you would be with Komuro and that he would see you safe to us, and I was right."

"Um, actually you have Hirano and Sagara to thank for that," Takashi said as he stepped forward to indicate the two teens. "If Hirano had not directed us to his father's office we might not have encountered Sagara and his friends. Without Sagara's knowledge of tactics and firearms we would not have been able to make it here."

Before anything else could be said an aid rushed to the elder Takagi and whispered into her ear. With a nod the woman dismissed her aid. Turning towards the two young men she offered them a bow, "Thank you for bringing my daughter back home. Thank you all. I apologize that I cannot be a better host at the moment, but please, make yourselves at home. I will have refreshments brought up for you and there is a bath available for you to use. If you please, the men may use the room and bath on the right and the women may use Saya's room and attached bath. I will return once I have taken care of a few pressing matters."

* * *

><p>The brief but refreshing bath seemed to prove the elder Takagi's statement that the family had not splurged on their accommodations. True, they did have multiple baths, but that was more likely due to the fact that they wanted to segregate the men and women not because they simply wanted more bathrooms. The baths were large enough to hold ten at a time and offered only the simplest of soups and body washes rather than a large assortment of both.<p>

Both Kohta and Takashi had marveled at the numerous scars that Sousuke bore. Shinji, who had seen the evidence of his friend's hard life at the beach and at the school pool, shook his head at the Fujimi boys, silencing them so as not to offend Sousuke.

By the time that the girls had finished with bathing and finding appropriate clothes to don the boys had already finished inventorying their weapons, ammo, stripped, cleaned and reassembled the guns, and packed their things away again. Unwilling to just head off on their own they had waited for the girls to emerge from Saya's room, lounging in the hallway and stealing bites from the food that was brought up to them.

Their quick meal was far healthier and lighter than any fare that they had had since the world had ended, but it was also a sign of how well prepared the Takagi and their people were. The fruits were probably grown on site while the meat tasted as though it had been flash frozen then rehydrated upon cooking. The seasoning was just enough to cover the treatment and packaging making it just appealing enough to a hungry soldier.

"So, what do we do now?" Kohta asked as he turned to the other boys. "I know that if the others had made it here they would have wanted to stay."

"I don't think Saya wants to stay," Takashi replied. "I've known her for a long time now, and I know she doesn't get along with her parents. It might be safer here for her, but I don't think she'll want to stay.

"Regardless of what she's going to do I know that Rei and I still want to find our parents. I know that you guys don't have to go with us…."

"It's not safe here," Sousuke stated. "It may appear to be safe, but did you see how many of Them were assaulting the first line of defense? Despite their preparation they did not prepare for the appropriate scenario. The bunker is enough to house 100 people for a year, but how many people did you see on the grounds? How many did you see in the neighborhood?"

The others exchanged looks. None of them had bothered to really count or keep track.

"I counted at least three hundred," Sagara stated. "Even if there aren't any more survivors being sheltered here that means that the food they put into their storehouses will only last 4 months, not a year. Even if a hundred of them are loyal to the Takagi family who's to say that the other two hundred won't disagree with them?"

None of the other boys said anything as they weighed his cautious words.

"Are those apples?" Rei's perky voice asked, turning their focus to the girls as they emerged from Saya's room.

"Yeah," Takashi replied. "We saved enough for all of you."

As they ate Saya and the boys stole glances out the windows at the sprawling grounds of the Takagi estate. Men and women scurried around, some heading out the open gate while others returned with more survivors. No one dared to ask if the young heiress was planning on staying or not.

With their light meal complete the group opted to tour the grounds as Saya's mother had yet to return. As the girls ate the boys went through their firearms despite the fact that they had barely discharged their weapons in the last encounter.

Once the food and weapon checks were completed the teens opted to explore the grounds. Sousuke made sure that the boys grabbed their guns and ammo, prompting the girls to bring their things as well.

It was alarming how light their packs were after their last encounter with the zombies had been. Nearly half of their ammo had been spent, and most of the supplies that they had brought with them from the apartment complex had been left with the vehicles. There were still two hundred shells for the shotguns, though they did not count the non-lethal rounds. There were just over two hundred rounds for the three rifles, and another two hundred rounds for the five handguns.

"Hey Princess!" a large burly man greeted as he waved Saya.

"Matsudo!" she exclaimed, startled by the big man's sudden appearance. The pinkette was engulfed in thick, muscular arms as the man picked her up in a bear hug. "But me down before you break me, Matsudo!"

The man, Matsudo, guffawed before finally relenting. "Look what I got?" he took one step back and turned to allow the teens to see the pickup truck that was hidden by his immense form.

"Our bikes!" Takashi rushed to examine the motorbikes.

"Well if it ain't little Komuro!" Matsudo smirked as he patted the boy's shoulder. "Where'd you pick these beauties up?"

"Well, you know how it is out there," the lean boy replied. "A guy's gotta have a nice ride to make it out there."

"I'll take your word for it. It was all we could do to rope these and pull them up the wall. I'm afraid the cars are a loss though."

"How bad is it?" Saya asked.

"Those things have been testing the barricades," the big man stated. "Those things can climb anything under a meter and a half, and if it's not sturdy enough they can push things around or knock it over. The wires slow them down too." He quickly scanned the area, making sure that no one could over hear them. "They've managed to get past all of our outer barricades. Nagi's taken a work crew and tractor to turn over a few cars and trucks – those hold, but there aren't enough cars to do that everywhere and it would keep us from being able to send people out."

"You're sending people out?" Saya asked incredulously.

"Your parents sent volunteers out to look for you," Matsudo replied. "So far no one's come back. It's likely that everyone that went out to look for you hasn't been able to find you because you're here already.

"They've also sent crews to help out the neighbors and collect some more supplies. We're going to need a lot more supplies if we're going to see this through."

"What's the situation?" Sousuke asked.

Matsudo shook his head, "I don't know. I've barely been outside the gate and while we have a good view of the district from the house on the ground we can't see over the walls.

"Anyways, I'll have your bikes fixed up by dinner. Why don't you go see Master Takagi? He'd know better."

They'd barely turned the corner from the garage when they came upon a group of adults. Given how stressful things were it did not surprise Sousuke to see them smoking. It was what Mao would do whenever she was stressed out.

"How the hell do a bunch of brats get guns?" one of the ill-mannered men spat out as he eyed the approaching teens. At that the other adults turned to examine the youths.

"What savage brutes," a well dressed woman in a too tight blouse proclaimed. "I'd heard that there were hooligans running about but I didn't think that the Takagi's would allow them to come here much less to let them keep their weapons."

"Those girls are probably whoring themselves off to the boys for some protection," one of the men snickered. "Of course I wouldn't turn them down if they were willing to give that up for my protection."

"Hey kid," the largest of the men said as he stepped forward, "do you even know how to use that thing? It's not like a toy gun you know. There are definitely consequences if you point that thing the wrong way."

"Why don't you kids give us those guns? It's our duty as adults to keep you kids safe after all," his buddy chimed in. Taking a few steps towards the group he looked down on the youths. The second man was tall and muscular, but the way he moved suggested that his frame was the result of lifting weights not from actually fighting.

The first man nodded, flicking his cigarette away before taking a step in their direction. "You really shouldn't be playing with those things," he reiterated.

"Do you know how to use this?" Kohta replied.

"Do you even know where the safety is? Or how to strip it, clean it, and reassemble it?" Shinji added. "What have you done to prove to us that you'd do better than we have? Do you know what we've done to get here? Do you know what's even out there?"

"If you kids managed to make it here it couldn't be too bad out there," the smoking woman replied. "After all, what could some children do that adults couldn't?"

"Then let's see you reassemble this gun," Takashi stated as he pulled out a Glock and quickly disassembled it before them. After possessing the gun for only a few days he was now able to strip and reassemble it thanks to Sagara's insistence that each of them know how maintain their weapons.

The display was apparently enough to convince the group of adults that the teens were more capable than they had initially surmised.

"Those rifles, they're military grade, aren't they?" The speaker was not part of the group of adults that had confronted the teens but belonged to a powerfully built man but had approached the group and the teens from the eastern gate. While Saya's face was nearly identical to her mother's her sharp, piercing eyes had clearly come from her father. The man moved with the practiced precision of someone who had been in the military. Unlike many of the other politicians and adults who worked out just to stay fit this man appeared to have balanced power, speed, endurance and dexterity as strode towards the two groups.

"They are," Sagara finally replied as the man gave him a measured look.

"That's a Barrett 98B," Takagi said as he eyed Shinji's weapon. "I'm pretty sure the JDF was still using the Howa 89."

"Is not standard for the Japanese military," Shinji replied. "It's from our personal collection."

"What an interesting collection," the man said as he eyed the teen's firearms. "It might be best to let you keep your arms rather than mixing them in with ours."

"Father," Saya's tone was tinted with a bit of anger "this is Sousuke Sagara, Kaname Chidori, and Shinji Kazama, they're survivors from Jindai High School." Again her father looked over the three teens. "You remember Takashi Komuro, and this Rei Miyamoto, Saeko Busujima, and Kohta Hirano. This is my father Nagare Takagi."

The powerful man lowered his head in a formal bow, "Thank you for bringing my daughter home."

"It's nothing," Kaname replied, slightly embarrassed by the man's display. "She's done as much as any of us really."

"That's not true," Saya interjected. "Sousuke's the one who took charge of the weapons and showed us all how to use them. Kohta and Shinji helped clear the way for Rei and Saeko to use their short range weapons, and you and Takashi lead us here."

Nagare nodded, "If you'll excuse us." Leading the teens away from the other group of adults he waited for them to be out of earshot when he finally turned to Sagara. "It is refreshing to have someone with military experience here."

The other Fujimi students glanced at Sagara and Nagare while Shinji and Kaname shrugged.

"Most of my aids joined some local militia but there is a vast difference between those who served in the military and those who in a militia," the man stated. "While they believe in protecting everyone, they also think to preserve the neighborhood by simply erecting barricades and closing off streets. They fail to see that we need to tear down some of the houses to create buffer zones."

"A moat would be useful too," Kaname added sarcastically.

"That's actually a very good idea," Sagara replied. "With the construction machines you could create a pit or moat to prevent the infected from putting too much stress on your resources, and you could use the torn up concrete to reinforce a wall or barricade."

"I've tried talking the neighbors into allowing us to do that, but they are insistent that such a measure would ultimately cost them money once order is restored," Nagare remarked. "The fools refuse to accept the magnitude of the disaster."

"Then you should fortify your own perimeter," Sousuke amended. "The walls around the premises are sturdy, but a well-placed explosive could easily lead to your defenses being overrun. The gate would not endure being hit by a truck and the fact that the road leads right into it makes it even easier to exploit. It would be best if you created a pit either before or after the gate so that if it were to fall you could rely on a secondary defense mechanism."

"But they need the construction vehicles to build other barricades," Kaname countered. "They can't just leave the neighborhood without defenses."

"They'll need to if they wish to survive. As it stands they are overextending their resources by having such a large perimeter to defend. It would be best to consolidate their resources to key points that are easier to defend rather than over-extending their defenses."

"Spoken like a true military man." The former soldier took a deep breath. "You are correct; we do not have the manpower needed to defend the neighborhood. As it stands there are multiple breeches in the north, south and east. I've ordered my men back and once they are back we'll have no choice but to lock down the compound."

"I do not envy your position," Sousuke said as he considered the situation. "We can buy your men time."

Everyone turned to look at him in astonishment but it was Saya that spoke out, "What are you saying?"

"Takashi, Rei; are you not looking to find your parents?" he asked them. "Are they here?"

The two exchanged a glance then turned to the mercenary. "He's right," Takashi finally admitted. "We need to go."

"But" the pinkette began only for Rei to shake her head.

"It's safe here," Saeko stated. "Just as it was with the apartment but in the end we left there too. I do not fault any of you if you wish to stay."

The remaining teens took turns eyeing each other and the compound.

"I'm going with Sousuke," Shinji finally said.

Kohta nodded, "Me too – I go where you go."

"Fine," Kaname sighed as she took a step towards the mercenary. Of all of them she knew the most about Sagara and what he was capable of.

"Thanks," Takashi whispered to the scarred teen.

"I'm going too," Saya added as she moved to join the rest of the teens. "I'm sorry father, but they need me more than you and mother do."

There was a look of pride as well as anguish in the man's eyes as he nodded at her. "What do you need?" His tone was firm and did not hint at the emotions that were swirling inside of him.

"We'll need our bikes," Sousuke replied. "We've already packed our things, and we don't want to put any more of a burden upon your supplies."

"The bikes won't be enough to transport all of you," Nagare pointed out. "Head to the garage, Matsudo's should be able to procure a vehicle for you."

"Thank you father," Saya said as she rushed to embrace the man.

Distant gunfire could be heard even over the din of the approaching vehicles.

"Make sure to say good bye to your mother," the proud man ordered her. "She should be at the garage checking over everything that was brought back."

As Saya led the teens back towards the garage Takashi and Sousuke stopped before her father. "We'll take care of her," Takashi stated.

"I know you will." Turning to Sousuke the two militarily trained men exchanged knowing looks before exchanging knowing nods. Military men put their faith in actions rather than words. Still, there were times when things needed to be said. "I entrust my daughter to you, to all of you."

The parking area between the gate and the building was slowly filling up as hooded men and women in their bio-hazard/flame retardant outfits returned to the compound. There were a good number of civilians mixed in with them as well, but most were in the unisex outfits scurrying from their vehicles.

A pair of armored TOMCARs awaited the teens as more gunfire and warning sirens were heard in the distance. The nimble vehicles were as large as a midsized SUV but were capable of enduring a beating. With only their weapons and the packs on their backs the teens managed to squeeze into the two vehicles once Sagara and Takashi claimed their repaired motorbikes.

"The sirens are just going to attract the zombies," Sagara stated as he eyed the growing number of infected. Though the garage was lower on the hill than the other buildings it was closest to the gates.

"You don't have to do this," the elder Takagi stated as she also eyed the men rushing to defend the gate. Only one in five possessed a firearm, the others bore bats, crowbars, large wrenches, or brooms handles.

Saya nodded, "I know, but I can't leave them."

"But you can leave us?"

The pinkette shook her head, "I'll be fine. Besides, someone needs to buy you guys the time you need to get everyone in here; it might as well be us crazy kids."

The two Takagi women embraced. "Be safe."

"We will," Saya replied. "Once we find Takashi and Rei's parent's we'll head back here."

A sudden flash illuminated the darkening sky, casting deep shadows and silencing the alarms.

"What was that?" Takashi asked as he rubbed at his eyes.

"An EMP," Sagara growled. "A High Altitude Nuclear Explosion, or H. A. N. E. – it's meant to disable electronics."

"It's a good thing the TOMCARs don't have any electronic parts." The mechanic was clearly happy at the idea, yet a sudden realization hit him. "But the gates and sirens aren't."

"Use the forklifts and tractors to close the gate," Takagi ordered as she realized the situation.

"Put any dead cars and truck in neutral," Sagara suggested. "Push them next to the entrance and then park them. You can position people atop the vehicles to batter the infected. Just have your people put on padding or leather so that the infected can't bite through to their skin."

"What are you going to do?"

"We're still going," he insisted. "We'll buy you as much time as we can, but you need to barricade the gate. Once that's done you can have people strip out the fried circuits and replace them."

He was glad that he'd had the others turn off their walkie talkies while they had bathed, but doubly glad that they'd stored several other units in their things without any batteries in them. From the chaos amongst those in the fire retardant suits it was clear that their radios were out as many ripped off their hoods/helmets so that they could be hear or bark out orders.

"Drive or shoot?" Saeko asked as she rushed over to the mercenary. "I admit, I may not be as skilled a shooter as you but I"

"I'll shoot," Sousuke said as he handed her his helmet. "I don't need your hair getting in the way of my shooting."

Rei rushed to join Takashi while Shinji and Kohta strapped themselves to the top of their respective vehicles. Saya and Kaname quickly turned on their engines, relieved that the vehicles weren't affected by the EMP burst.

"Switch to your back up walkies," he ordered them. Only Kaname, Saya, and Takashi pulled out their unused walkies, discarding the burnt out ones. "Testing, testing."

His voice blared out of the others' devices much to their delight, unfortunately his hunch that the other devices had been fried had been confirmed. "When we have a chance we'll see if the laptops work. They might have been fine if they were powered off, but now isn't the time to check that."

Shinji nodded as he checked the ammo of his shotgun. They were looking to do crowd control, but the two snipers would still be able to take out any of the zombies with the shotguns.

"I'll drop some smoke grenades once we're through the gate," Sagara stated as he handed Saeko his pack. "Takashi and Rei will head south and draw any of them that way. We'll head north. Take the TOMCARs east towards the Hilux to see if you can get any of our supplies out. If anyone finds a suitable place to hole up call it in, otherwise we'll head back to that hotel."

"Okay," Kaname's voice came in over the walkie even as the lights on Saya's TOMCAR came on. As the only one to have gone to a love hotel she had been the first to spot the building. The shopping district had been completely empty when they'd passed through it earlier in the day though the stores had been ransacked leaving little of interest to the group. The hotel with its security had been untouched though, and a quick sweep using Shinji's laptop and Saya's hacking skills had indicated that building had been vacant. The CCTV had shown no signs of any movement and the catalog of rooms available showed that none of the rooms were in use.

"Ready?" the mercenary asked.

Takashi nodded as he hopped on behind Rei while Saya and Kaname both honked their horns. The roar of their motors was enough to prompt those between them and the gate to make way.

Those in the street were in a crazed panic, some refusing to leave their vehicles, others attempting in vain to restart their cars, and a few running to the closest building. Meanwhile sporadic gunfire added to their panic as the defenders manning the gate began to pick off any of the undead that they spotted. Some on the streets had also taken to defending themselves from the undead attackers though most ran.

Once the teens were on the street Sagara dropped two smoke grenades. While the noise would attract Them, the smoke would mask the defenders positions along the gate as they sought to close it. Trusting in their outfits the men forced the gate closed before pushing several SUVs in to brace it as the teens provided a bit of covering fire for those that remained in the streets. With the gate secured the teens scattered, their motors drawing the attention of the zombies away from the other survivors and the Takagi compound.

Only the sound of the shotguns discharging reached Sagara's ears over the motorbike's engine. Not having it on made a world of difference as the Saeko raced away from the horde of zombies then pulled to a screeching stop so as not to leave Them too far behind. The short pauses gave Sagara enough time to pick out their path, shooting any of Them that he deemed to be too much of a threat to the pair.

After ten minutes of stop and go there was a considerable group of Them closing in on the teens. Sousuke estimated that there were over a hundred of Them behind the bike with another two score approaching from the north. With both clips to his Beretta spent he was forced to reload while Saeko navigated the streets. In the growing darkness it was becoming harder and harder for him to see up the hill though the lack of gunfire seemed to suggest that the others were a good distance away and that the Takagi compound was no longer besieged by the undead.

Another ten minutes saw the pair reach the barricade. While there were plenty of Them about, most seemed to be focused on the corpses that they were already feasting on. Sagara couldn't help but note that none of the victims wore the bulky fire retardant outfits that the Takagi's had provided their people with.

Taking a final look at the grizzly sight he pulled out a stick of dynamite and lit the fuse. Between the hissing fuse and bright light the explosive managed to attract over a dozen of Them to it. The two teens were a safe distance away when their present detonated. Turning east they set to find an opening to exploit.

"We've reached the Hilux," Shinji's voice announced via the walkie talkie. "It looks like we won't be able to get to anything useful from it since the street's still packed full of Them. We're going to head north and circle back towards the hotel."

"Copy that," Sagara said. "We've reached the northern barricade and are headed east."

"We're through the south and are headed east as well," Takashi stated. "We've reached the highway. There are a few of Them around, but they're not as thick here. We shouldn't have any problem avoiding them."


	8. Chapter 8

Oppressive darkness blanketed the once vibrant city giving the night an ominous air as the survivors of the end of the world faced their first night with little to no electrical power.

Each of the three groups of teens had seen signs of life as they retreated to the vacant and dead love hotel. Takashi and Rei had spotted several vans and trucks full of survivors on the highway, the pair had even managed to lure some of the zombies away from a few of the stranded vehicles but the zombies had been more intent on their prey trapped in or atop the vehicles that only a few of the undead had bothered to chase after the teens on the motorbike.

Shinji and Kohta had been forced to shoot at a crowd of crazed survivors to force them to disperse before the TOMCARs rolled through a ravaged street. The snipers had even had to turn around to shoot at the lawless crowd as some had taken to the notion of pursing the two armored vehicles. Shinji had managed to disable a vehicle by shooting out its tire while Kohta had shot at the driver of a second vehicle, causing the driver to swerve and crash into a burnt out car. The encounter served to prove the point that not all survivors were worth saving.

Sousuke and Saeko had not encountered anyone but they had seen plenty of campfires scattered throughout the city to suggest that there were others who had managed to endure everything thus far. As they were in a rush to rejoin the others in their group and had no need for any supplies they had stopped only to switch positions, allowing Sagara to control the bike while Saeko clung to him from behind.

He had to silently admit that he was glad to have the air rushing past his ears as he focused on the gloomy road and the potential threats that were always just beyond the meager light of the motorbike's headlight. Try as he might though he could not get past the feel of Saeko's firm breasts pressed against his back. The leather padding of her jacket and bullet proof plating in his Kevlar vest failed to diminish the fact that she was clinging to him so tightly.

Only his ridged training kept him from stopping the bike, storm whatever safe haven they might find, and screw her brains out. Had he been one of those people who could multi-task he might even have recalled their encounter in the garage the previous night while keeping the bike upright on the road. Sousuke Sagara though was a single minded man intent on performing whatever job or task assigned to him with utter conviction. Right now his job was to secure a safe place for the group of scattered survivors to hole up for the night.

It was no surprise that he and Saeko were the first to arrive at the now abandoned love hotel. Saya and Kaname would need a few days to get used to the speed and power of the TOMCARs, while Rei and Takashi had the furthest to go as they had headed to the southern barricades.

Using a rope, grappling hook, flashlight, Leatherman, and his gun he managed to sweep the four story complex, ensuring that the building was devoid of any threats to the teenaged survivors, all before twin TOMCARs arrived. With the girls' assistance he was able to move several dumpsters into the alley, allowing the group to hide their vehicles and secure the building.

Shinji and Saya managed to restore power to the hotel's security system, rearming the doors, activating the CCTVs and emergency lights inside the building. The special nature of the love hotels prevented light and sound from escaping giving the group even more security though Sagara insisted that they once again set up a watch.

The hotel was situated on the southwest corner of an intersection. Though dwarfed by the buildings behind it, the hotel was far taller than the other buildings that it faced. Set on the edge of a shopping district as it turned into a residential district it had drawn little attention other survivors as it offered little in the way of supplies and its sturdy security appeared to dissuade most from attempting to break in.

Shinji quickly set up shop in the corner room on the second floor (a voyeur themed room with plenty of monitors and cameras), a position that allowed him to watch over the deserted streets while also giving him access to the CCTV system that he and Saya had managed to reboot. Kohta of course took the neighboring room (a vanilla room with a heart-shaped bed in the center and giant mirror ceiling that hid several cameras and a giant TV connected to the cameras) and began to inventory their remaining ammo as well as helping any of the other teens with the cleaning and maintenance of their weapons. Rei took the next room (a spacious room with hardwood floors, two horse carousel, hot tub, and open shower) and began repairing her spear as well as working on several more once she'd raided the janitor's closet. Kyoko (giant cage with chains, manacles, whips, and a bed covered in the softest leather) and Kaname (large bed, open shower, and images of men and women in each position of the Karma Sutra) claimed the rooms closest to the vending machines before taking a crowbar to the machines to restock the group's supplies. Takashi claimed the next room (though he blushed at the posters that depicted life-sized anime characters in the nude) while Saeko took the room opposite of him (space themed room with miniature stars strung from the ceiling and a circular bed in the middle of the room). Saya occupied the room opposite the hallway from Shinji (undersea theme featuring a giant bathtub large enough for four, and soft blue-green lights) while Sagara (sailor room with a hammock, bed, bar, and hot-tub) claimed the room closest to the stairwell.

After two long nights packed together in the apartments most of the teens were relieved to have a room and bed to themselves. Though the rooms did not necessarily fit their individual personalities, they all agreed that staying together on the same floor was the best idea. Each teen had slowly learned his or her role in the group. Aside from being a sniper Shinji was as their in charge of surveillance and monitoring the CCTV equipment. Saya monitored the walkie talkies and supported Shinji by helping him maintain and check the cameras. Kyoko was in charge of food – inventory and cooking. Kaname and Takashi planned the group's route and managed the teens' morale. While each of them was to take care of their own firearms, the girls often sought out Kohta to assist them. Rei and Saeko tended to their own weapons as well when not assisting Kyoko with raiding the vending machines, leaving Sagara to set up a defensive perimeter and to set up watch.

As he watched the two co-leaders discussing the events of the day as well as their plans for tomorrow Sagara felt an odd ease. It was like watching his commanders planning out a mission. He knew his place as a soldier and now as one of the group. Initially he had simply been there to guard Kaname, but due to the fact that they had faced many dire situations together had become relatively close as a result. He had never mistaken that comradery for anything else as he knew that men, and women, who fought together often shared a strong bond with each other. Yes, he trusted her, just as he trusted Tessa, and there had been a level of attraction, but he knew that they could never be. It was even worse than with Tessa as the silver-haired girl at least understood and accepted that Sagara was a soldier, but Kaname on the other hand did not, could not accept what war had made him.

Her repeated attempts to make him into a normal person had only made things worse as it had made him despise what he had become. After the other day though he understood and accepted that he could never be who she thought she wanted because she and the others would need him to be who he really was if they hoped to survive.

With their plans for the morrow set Sousuke excused himself from the informal meeting. It would be hours before he was needed for watch, but he was not completely comfortable given the fact that all of their watches had died during the EMP attack. Still, he knew his limits. Marching himself off to the sailor room he grabbed hold of a blanket and a pillow. Tossing them down on the floor he positioned himself next to the open door making sure that his pack and things were never out of hand.

X

Dark lights hummed and crackled, casting their special illumination over the love hotel. Shinji couldn't help but find it amusing. Not only were the specialized lights easier on the human eye, but they could also detect traces of bodily fluids on the multitude of surfaces. Given the type of hotel the group currently inhabited it made sense that the owners used black lights. From what little his cameras could see of the city beyond the hotel's walls it was clear that the lights were not drawing the attention of anyone or thing that moved outside.

With Saya's assistance he'd managed to restore power to the hotel's CCTV grid and hooked it up to the monitors and TVs in the corner room. It was actually surprisingly easy, almost as though the room were set up as a second monitoring station. Hell, there were even cameras off of the hotel's premises that were hooked into this network. While most had been knocked out during the EMP attack, there were a few that were still relaying. What had been a truly saving grace though was the fact that the hotel had a backup generator and several spare tanks of fuel. With the group using only power on the second floor and only the emergency power at that, they were likely to have fuel available for the TOMCARs.

Distant snores reached his ears along with the sound of running water. Given the hour he was not surprised that most of his companions were now asleep or at least preparing for bed. He had initially expected to be paired up with Kohta for the first shift on the watch as the two snipers were proving to be an effective team, but when Sagara had used the growing bond between the two as an example of why it was important for everyone to pair up with someone else rather than focusing just on their best pairings Takashi had quickly agreed.

"How's it going?" the buxom pinkette asked as she slipped into his room.

He shrugged even though he doubted that she'd seen it, "Okay."

As the TVs in his room were connected to the cameras it only made sense that that room should be the guard station. The other rooms had only token windows while this had two walls which overlooked the street and the buildings opposite it. It was designed so that the inhabitants could look out and not be noticed. The room was large enough to sport an open shower with one-sided glass so that the occupant could look into the neighboring room. The queen-sized mattress stood atop a revolving platform, and the only true wall in the room was occupied by a giant TV.

He could smell lavender on her as she sat next to him. Given the size of the TV her act had not been necessary. Still, he did not mind it when she leaned against him. "This is so boring."

"Yeah," he gulped.

"How did you and Kohta manage to do this the other night?"

"We talked," he replied. "I told him about life at Jindai and he told me about life at Fujimi."

They sat there watching the nearly static images of the alley, the streets below, the stairwell, and two views of the hallway. The clock on the display said that it was close to 10pm, though they had guessed the actual time when they'd reset the system. Two figures emerged from neighboring rooms.

"I can't do this," Saya lamented.

He spared her a glance, "Can't do what? The watch or can't sit still because you know you left more people behind?"

The pinkette's mouth opened to object.

"Ah," Shinji nodded. "You've got a thing for Takashi." Even in the dim light he could tell that she was glaring venomously at him. "Childhood friends, right?"

He'd seen Kaname slug Sagara but he'd never imagined himself being hit by a girl. Fortunately for him Saya lacked Kaname's ferocity as the punch to his shoulder barely budged the scrawny teen. Still, he could not help but feel terrible as he saw the tears forming in her eyes.

"Um, I'm sorry," he fumbled for the right words to say. Having never been in such a predicament he kept coming up blank. He surprised them both by reaching out and pulling her to him, an act made all the more awkward by their positioning at the foot of the mattress. The pair managed to spill off of the edge of the mattress and onto the floor with Shinji on the bottom and Saya landing in his lap.

Both teens were suddenly awake and aware of where their respective body parts were in relation to the other's.

"Pervert!" she hissed.

Shinji was expecting to be hit again and braced himself for a thundering punch that would make Kaname envious, but instead he felt Saya's damp locks against his shoulder as she nestled against him. His mind panicked, unsure what to do, but somehow his arms found the courage to pull her to him so that one of her ample breasts was pressed against his chest. He wasn't sure how long they sat there as her head kept him from seeing the flashing numbers at the bottom corner of the monitor. The only thing that changed was that Kaname and Takashi had returned to their rooms.

'No, wait, that wasn't right. They'd gone into Takashi's room.' He was glad that Saya wasn't focused on the TV. 'They're probably just talking about tomorrow.'

The smell of Saya's lavender scented shampoo was nice he decided.

Like most of the boys in his year Shinji had once crushed on the teal-haired beauty but like everyone else had given up on it soon after. He understood what it was like to be overlooked and unnoticed by a crush.

Finally, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he muttered into her hair.

"I shouldn't have hit you."

"It's alright," he replied. "You've been through a lot today."

He found himself stroking her hair though he wanted to stroke something else, and in private too.

"Thanks." He could feel the warmth of her breath caressing his ear as she turned so that she was now pressing both of her breasts into his chest.

All he could do was gulp.

"Don't tell anyone about this."

Again he gulped. "Okay." He was sure his voice had cracked.

Shinji Kazama had faced hordes of undead, raced up a mountainside while being shot at by hundreds of automated guns, his class trip had been hijacked by terrorists twice, he had scaled the side of an apartment building to steal girl's underwear and been confronted by that vary same girl yet his heart never raced as it did now. Were he to measure time by the beating of his heart then this single moment lasted longer than both field trips combined.

* * *

><p>Dawn's light cleaved through the darkness as the sun peeked through the buildings on the horizon. Packing the TOMCARs with every necessity they could salvage from the hotel the teens headed south and west again. The ravaged highway that Rei and Takashi had driven down the previous night had been full of dark shadows from the numerous vehicles that had been affected by the EMP blast. What the night had failed to show them was now on full display as the teens eyed the stretch of highway.<p>

"I didn't realize there were that many," Rei muttered as she gazed upon the bloody remains of over a hundred vehicles. She recalled seeing signs of life from the cars, even a few cries for help as she and Takashi had sped by; now there were only piles of broken, gnawed on bones that remained.

Having stood watch with her Sagara recalled her tale of the ride up from the southern barricade and how she and Takashi had tried to south the area in the dying light of the previous dusk. She, like Takashi and Saya, knew this area well as they had grown up around here. It was her familiarity with the district that had resulted in her riding with him today in place of Saeko.

"What do we do?" Takashi asked as he turned to Kaname's TOMCAR. "The highway is full of Them, but I think we can manage for a few kilometers. If we're lucky we can even make it up to the exit leading into our neighborhood."

"I'm just an exit down from you then," Saeko stated. "Let's switch – since I know the road past your neighborhood better I'll go with Sousuke. We'll ride ahead to draw Them away, then once the road's clear the rest of you can follow."

"We'll fill up their bike with the rest of the fuel so that they won't need to stop at a gas station," Rei seconded as she stood up. "There's a gas station right after you exit from the highway before you reach our house so the rest of us can refuel before they rejoin us."

"I know where the police station is," Saeko added. "I can direct Sagara there once we've led them down the highway."

It sounded like a sound plan. Despite his reluctance to simply lure Them to some unknown place Sagara knew that it was the most viable plan they had. Yes, he'd lead them away, but he had a plan.

The ride itself went well as the nimble motorbike sped past and through the crowd of zombies. Saeko did her best to keep any of Them from getting too close whenever he slowed the bike so that They never lost interest in the pair of teens. It was an agonizingly slow drive at times as Sousuke fought his instincts to shoot the threats that lumbered towards him.

In his mind he'd run the calculations and knew that they would run out of ammo before they reached his apartment. The group's pace was startlingly slow and now that the infected had essentially over ran any attempt to keep them contained there were far more of Them around. It had taken nearly three days for clearer heads to prevail but then the EMP had thrown everything back into chaos.

During his shift on watch he'd seen several smaller groups running through the streets, most being chased by Them, but a few chasing or chased by other survivors. Rei had seen it too but had said nothing. Both of them recalled their recent encounter with the biker gang but only she considered what might have happened to her had someone like Sagara not been around.

As a soldier he did not like to think about those things. He knew that many mercenaries and lesser trained soldiers were prone to preying on the weak, but it was not something that he had ever allowed himself to do. In fact he prided himself as someone who refused to work for anyone who was willing to allow his men to do such things. Such acts were a sign that he was not dealing with professionals, and working with novices and hacks tended to lead to short careers and contracts.

Despite the circumstances, Sagara knew that he needed to maintain his cool. It was his job to lure Them down the highway while Saeko dealt with any of Them that came too close to the two teens. He needed to conserve fuel and ammo right now to give the group a better chance of survival. This was not like one of those zombie shooter games that Kaname had tried to get him into where he had unlimited ammo and just needed to shoot the gun off to the side to magically reload it. Reloading took time even for the best of them, and improper maintenance could lead to the firearm jamming at a crucial moment.

Feeling Saeko press her breasts into his back he knew that it was time for him to pull back the throttle. The wheel squealed in delight as the bike zoomed past a pair of zombies. More were shambling towards them, some turning to give chase.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched as some of Them pulled themselves over the patrician separating the two sides of the highway, only for Them to fall through the gap between the two roads. Zombies were more like lemmings than lemmings were as the undead allowed their craving for flesh to drive them forward despite any possible damage that might be done to Them.

A tug on his sleeve was all he needed from Saeko to tell him that the two had reached their desired exit. Scanning the bridge he found the cut in the cement that the engineers had put in to keep the highway from buckling whenever it got too hot. Pulling over he handed his Berettas to the kendoka, "Cover me."

She nodded, taking aim at the closest zombie. Saeko managed to hit over half of her targets before she finally emptied both clips. It was more than enough time for him to plant the charges and set the detonators.

"You really were a terrorist, weren't you?"

He wasn't sure if she was joking, being sarcastic, or serious. He simply shrugged as he took the spent guns from her and replaced the clips. Making sure that the safety was in place he put them back into his bag. Detonator in hand he hopped onto the bike.

Once they were a safe distance away he kept revving the engine so that They kept chasing after the teens. The game of cat and mouse continued until they were on the exit ramp. Once there were enough of Them over the bombs he throttled the bike, sending it down the ramp even as he hit the detonator. The blast sent Them flying and leaving many with lingering injuries that would make it harder for Them to pursue anyone.

* * *

><p>Monotonous days had come and gone since the small group had arrived in Japan. Despite the promise of additional forces they had received no word from the Tautha de Danaan or any of their contacts in Japan. The EMP burst had not affected their systems yet there was no word from anyone. It was disheartening. The sudden ping on his extended radar though startled the young pilot.<p>

"Captain," he shouted into the com. "I've got a signal!"

"Who is it?" his young commander's voice squeaked over the com.

"Urzu 7 and Angel," he proclaimed. "They're reached the northern edge of my sensors. Their route appears to be taking them south and west so they should be out of range of my sensors soon. Orders?"

The first time she had ordered Kurz to focus on procuring the limited supplies that the crew of the Tautha de Danaan had managed to send them, but with little hope of them finding any more cargo or crew it was up to the handful of survivors to watch out for each other. Sagara may have only been a part-time member of Mithril, but he was all that they had left in Japan. "Bring them home."

"Aye Captain."

* * *

><p>The sheer number of Them was mind boggling to Sousuke. Rationally he could not comprehend the speed with which They had spread given that the barricades on the bridge had only fallen the night before. There was also the fact that their numbers were significantly larger. The first day Sagara had estimated that the Jindai survivors had come across some three hundred in their flight from the high school, but today the two teens had encountered twice that many on the highway and nearly that many since taking the exit.<p>

With their ammo reserves running dangerously low he had been forced to detour several times. The pair had not been able to return to the highway as there were still several hundred of Them milling about the exit and entrance ramps. Forced to take the smaller roads they had to navigate around small groups of zombies. The sound of the bike's motor drew Them out of the shattered remains of houses, from back alleys, shrubbery, and even from under cars and trucks.

It did not help that the zoning in this neighborhood kept the fences at a height of 1.5 meters. The barriers would keep the shorter child-sized zombies out but not the adult-sized ones. Many of the houses had opted for hedges instead of fences, though some combined both, either way the barriers had proven ineffective in keeping Them out.

Only the Busujima dojo had higher walls to prevent their students from creating too much of a racket for the neighbors.

"I doubt there is anyone there," Saeko stated as she unlocked the gate. "Father took some of his senior students to America for an international tournament."

Sousuke could not help but remain cautious as the pair swept the premises.

With the grounds absent of any sign of Them, the pair quickly entered the locked house so that Saeko could grab some of her own clothes.

"I never imagined bringing a man up to my room," she teased as she began to unbutton the remains of her Fujimi blouse. Blood that was not her own stained the white fabric but it was her own sweat that caused it to cling to her skin.

"I'll check the kitchen for supplies," he offered as he turned away.

"Don't bother – with father gone for at least a week I hadn't stocked up on anything," she explained. The sound of her blouse landing on the floor made his muscles go ridged as he stood in the threshold. "I only have a chance to stop in on the weekends so father tends to leave the pantry empty when he's gone."

The next thing he heard was her dresser drawer.

"Done," she stated slamming the drawer closed. "We just need to hit up the dojo for some weapons."

"Weapons?"

"Father is a collector and dealer of weapons," the violet haired girl elaborated. "He prefers to collect weapons used in other styles of martial arts – a rapier, saber, claymore, halberd, chain and sickle, gladius, Viking bastard sword, and machete. He also loved to collect katana – hunting down the handful of smiths that still practice the art of metal and blacksmithing."

Adorned in a light blue and grey tank top, leather jacket, leather skirt, and tall leather boots Saeko was dressed to face a horde of zombies. The tough leather was far better suited to dealing with the abuse it would face as the kendoka fought her way past and through zombies. Several straps suggested that she would be able to hold anything from a sheathed katana to a rifle and clips of ammo.

He didn't know why, but he gave her a nod of approval.

Saeko armed herself with a katana, shoved three more into her pack along with a welt stone and some oil. Sousuke took a wrench.

The pair managed to lock up the house and gate before heading down the street. The streets had been empty of life when they had arrived and the two had taken it as a sign that They had moved on from the neighborhood. As they made their way towards the police station it soon became clear why the streets appeared to be deserted. The ravaged streets were littered with corpses, some of them still moving despite being pinned to the ground by overturned concrete dividers, toppled lamp posts and telephone poles.

As the pair advanced upon the besieged police department it was clear that there were survivors inside. Unlike other departments which had focused on containing the infection the police in this district had instead sought to create a defensible position. Their fortifications though were slowly being chipped away and the handful of defenders pushed back.

The concrete dividers hindered the zombies, but it did not stop their advance. Even the wall of cars had failed to do so. The most effective barrier had probably been the line of bulldozers but that had realistically fallen once the EMP had fried their circuits. Without the ability to move heavy objects into the path of the zombies the police station and its defenders were left to defend each barricade before falling back to the police station. Using desks, cabinets, and riot shields the men that remained were valiantly holding the door.

Sagara assumed that it was like being crushed by a python as the defenders were slowly crushed and pushed back by the untiring horde of undead. It was likely that the police had run out of ammo soon after they had lost the bulldozers.

Wrench in hand Sousuke advanced on the besieged police station. Spotting an abandoned megaphone he picked it up and tested it, "HEY!"

Some of the zombies at the back turned around.

"Come and get some!" it was the only thing he could think of saying at the moment.

Dozens of undead broke off from the hundreds that swarmed the building.

Calmly he walked over to a fire hydrant, dropping the megaphone before handing his handguns to Saeko. His muscles strained against the metal but eventually he loosened it, sending a small spray over himself and Saeko. Another mighty push was all that was needed to remove the cap and send a powerful blast of water at the gathered zombies, knocking the horde off of their feet.

It was not enough to save the survivors in the building, but it would by some of them the time they needed to flee the building so that the defenders would not have died in vein.

Suddenly the ground shook as something heavy smashed into the ground. Dazed, Sagara could only watch as the water from the fire hydrant collided with something heavy. The ECS system suddenly turned itself off as the water disrupted the optical illusion it created, revealing the presence of an M9.

The third generation Arm Slave raised its foot in one swift kick that sent many more zombies flying. Another stomp sent a spray of red into the air only for the blood to be washed off by the water from the fire hydrant.

Cheers erupted from the building as the survivors watched their chances of seeing another dawn drastically improve. Picking up a car the AS used it to batter the remaining zombies in the area before creating a makeshift barricade by turning more vehicles on their sides and blocking off the intersections around the police station. Finally it crouched down, laying one hand down to the ground.

"Come on," Sagara urged Saeko. "He's alright."

"He?" she spit out, unsure what was happening.

"I know the pilot," he replied.

"I've never seen an AS like this one," the kendoka stated.

"They're the first of the third generation Arm Slaves," Sousuke said as he took her hand. Calmly he walked her over to the mechanical hand. "Few have seen them."

She was still unsure about everything, but she trusted him. Stepping onto the hand she stumbled into Sousuke as the AS lifted them into the air before leaping over the newly erected barrier.

***Why is it everytime I rescue you, you've got a hot chick with you?*** the veteran sniper asked in his native German.

***I don't know what you're talking about**,* Sagara replied as he helped steady Saeko.

"You speak German?" the violet haired girl asked.

Sagara nodded, "There was a German instructor at my camp in Helmajistan. I also speak Russian, English, Chinese, and Korean."

*I'll take you to your bike, then you can take me to Angel,* Kurz stated as he took them down the street.

Sagara nodded.

"How is that thing still running?" Saeko asked as they were set on the ground.

"It's running on a palladium reactor," his tone was matter of fact as though everyone should know the basics about the M9.

"But cold fusion is only theoretical," she muttered, unsure how she had even known that fact.

"It's been in use for a while now." His attitude suggested that this conversation was not unusual for him. Behind him the third generation AS faded from view.

"How does it do that?"

Finally he looked at her, "That's classified."


	9. Chapter 9

The hum of the truck echoed off of the buildings and streets, attracting a multitude of zombies. Blood caked the bumper and no amount of wiper fluid would make the window clean ever again. Still, the truck provided the trio with a safe haven from the terrors of the world outside.

"There are survivors there," Saeko stated as she pointed towards an apartment complex.

"His priority is to save us," the scarred teen stated. "Now we just have to get Kaname and the others."

"Just how many of you are there anyways?" the blond steering the truck demanded.

"Kaname, Kyoko, and Shinji from Jindai," the darker boy stated. "And then there's Takashi, Saya, Rei, and Kohta – nine of us altogether."

The taller boy nodded grimly.

It was clear to the kendoka that he had known some of the Jindai students. Had he been a transfer student perhaps or was he just one of Sagara's friends? It seemed that the later was more likely, but if so then what sort of friends did Sousuke have? The more she found out about him the more she realized she didn't know anything about him.

Kurz Weber – he was supposed to be associated with Sousuke Sagara, but that's all either boy had said. She could tell that they both wanted to say more and had some exchanges in German, but she hadn't been able to make out what they were actually saying. Still, they'd stopped when they had realized that she at least knew that they had spoken German.

"How'd you find us?" she finally asked as they sped past the besieged apartment complex, the truck managing to take out several dozen zombies that were lumbering towards the barricade.

"The GPS on his cell phone," the blond replied.

"But our cell phones are dead – the EMP blast took out all electronic systems," she stated.

"Only those not equipped to deal with radiation," Sagara corrected.

"But you couldn't call anyone," she added as she turned to look at him. "Wait, you didn't call anyone because you didn't want us to know that you could call someone."

"Negative," he replied. "I did not call anyone because the communications systems are down. The GPS in my phone still broadcasted my position to anyone with the technology to track it."

"So this truck and the Arm Slave are both working, so the military should be able to sort things out, right?" she asked.

The blond scoffed, "The XM9s are probably functional, but from the chatter we picked up there are no viable pilots left. Military bases that received the new third generation Arm Slaves were the first to be hit."

"What were they hit with?" she asked.

"That we don't know for sure," Kurz replied. "We only know that it's biological agent that is capable of reanimating a human corpse giving it the basic imperative to feed and to spread the infection. Those infected are capable of basic motor skills such as walking, climbing steps, going up and down slight slopes, hearing noises, seeing movement, smelling the difference between someone who is infected or not, and in some cases using weapons or tools."

"What?!"

"I've seen cases of the infected using guns," Kurz stated. "I've also seen a few pick up pipes and use them to assault a door, seen a few use keys to actually open a locked door, and a few managed to undo a deadbolt."

His announcement silenced the others as they grasped the true terror of their situation. "We lost Dana."

She blinked, unsure who Dana was. "I'm sorry." The grave look on the boys' faces suggested that it was not the loss of a single, important person, but of something different altogether.

"Survivors?" Sagara asked.

"Tessa went with Mao, I managed to get some supplies before I launched," Kurz replied. "I barely lifted off before the Toy Box was hit."

Saeko could hear Sagara's knuckles as he squeezed his fist tighter.

"Tessa and Mao are at your place," the blond added. "I've been out gathering what little resources we squared away from our last trip to Tokyo."

"How bad is it?" Saeko asked.

Again Kurz scoffed, "It's the end of the world as we know it."

They went several blocks, letting his proclamation sink in before she asked, "How do you know where to go?"

"Kaname has a tracker on her too," Sagara stated.

"He puts them on all the girls likely to get kidnapped," Kurz remarked as he made a hard right.

"I did not," Sagara objected. "I gave it to her in the guise of a watch. I also gave her flash grenades for earrings."

Kurz snickered, "The crazy things you do to lose a girl."

Before anything could be said the blond shifted gears.

"That's everyone," Sagara stated as he spotted the two TOMCARs and the pair on the motorbike.

"Just tell them to follow me," Kurz stated as he turned the truck and brought its heading towards the south and east.

"How'd it go?" Sagara asked as he spoke into the walkie talkie.

"We found Rei's mother," Kyoko replied. "Is that Kurz?"

"Affirmative," the scarred boy replied. "He's going to take the lead."

"We need to check out the East Precinct," Takashi chimed in. "There's no word yet about the police and we've got to stop at my mother's school."

Sagara nodded then turned to the blond.

"I guess the Captain and Mao can wait," Kurz sighed. "But you're gonna be the one to face them."

"Lead the way Takashi," Sagara said into the walkie.

The pair on the motorbike sped ahead of the truck leaving the TOMCARs the trail behind. The trip to the school went quickly though in hindsight Saeko wished that they hadn't reached the school. The sight of so many child-sized zombies shambling through the school yard made her sick to her stomach. The open campus had little defense against any intruders much less against a horde of undead.

Throwing the motorbike onto the back of the truck, Sagara and Kohta watched as Takashi and Rei joined her mother in Saya's TOMCAR.

No one said anything as the group headed to the police station. What little hope that Saeko had that this police station had held up just as the one that she and Sousuke had aided quickly faded as she noticed the carnage that enveloped the station. Like the previous police station the police had sought to defend it with whatever was at their disposal, but there had been too many of Them. Bloody shreds of police officers' uniforms and spent bullet shells were all that remained.

The Fujimi survivors said little as Kurz led them to somewhere safe.

'Safe,' Saeko huffed. 'Will we ever be safe?'

Even with the heavy truck plowing through the roads the survivors were forced to take several detours around large hordes of undead.

"Why are we stopping here?" Kaname's asked via the walkie talkie.

"We need to fuel up," Kurz stated as he pulled the truck up to an empty warehouse. "We'll hole up here for the night."

"Couldn't we get to Sagara's with the truck?" Kyoko asked.

"The bridge is out," the blond replied. "If we're going to cross the bridge we're going to need Al's help."

"Al's here?" the scarred mercenary asked.

"He's with Tessa," the blond sniper smirked. "You'll see him when we get back to your place. The warehouse is secure, but we're going to need to strip it."

Sagara nodded.

Behind them the gate to the warehouse closed, keeping out any of Them that had followed the roar of the truck's engine.

Any suspicions she'd had about Sagara's past intensified as Saeko entered the warehouse. The tall loading bay doors suggested the use of heavy machinery such as bulldozers and other construction vehicles much less allowing entire trucks through. That the building had its own generator (why else would the electric gate and doors still be working) also stood out to the kendoka. The giant crates were too large to be handled by the machinery inside the warehouse, suggesting that something else did the heavy lifting.

Kurz and Sousuke were too hard for her to read. Both young men appeared to be adept at lying, so Saeko was forced to read Kyoko, Kaname, and Shinji's faces for any expressions. For the most part the three seemed to just role with Kurz's excuse that his father's business allowed him to travel to Japan freely and that this building was one of his warehouses. Only Kaname's face failed to convey her belief in that story though, but the fact that she was trying to sell it to the others was telling.

"That's an impressive rifle," the blond said to the scrawny Shinji. "I imagine your shoulder's a bit sore from the kick-back though."

"Yeah," the other boy admitted sheepishly.

"You're going to love this baby then," the taller boy said with a smile. Marching the other over to a crate he pulled the cover off. "M50 – I had its specs retooled to fit you after I saw how you shot around the last time. I'll show you how to strip and reassemble it."

Kohta was simply drooling at the modified weapon.

"We'll need more ammo if we're going to make it back to my place," Sagara said as he pulled the plump boy away. Lifting the top of another crate he produced other weapons.

"L129A13," tears appeared in Kohta's eyes.

"What?" Takashi asked absentmindedly.

"It's the rifle used by the British Service," the gun otaku sighed. "They come with a bayonet attachment, can hold 50 rounds per clip but have an extended clip of 100, and fire at a semi-automatic rate but can also be great sniping weapons as they are lethal up to 800 meters."

"Since you know the weapon I trust that you can show the others how to strip and reassemble it," Sagara stated as he handed the gun to Kohta. The other boy eagerly nodded.

"What are you going to use?" Saeko asked as she moved to follow the scarred boy.

"We might need heavier weapons," Sousuke replied.

"What kind of business ships arms?" she asked as he refused to be brushed aside.

"An arms dealer of course." It was a simple, logical answer, yet befuddling as well.

She continued to watch him, knowing that Kaname was also keeping track of them, as Sousuke approached a smaller crate. "What is that?"

"A MS45 grenade launcher." His flat tone when spouting off weapons was beginning to bother her especially when the gun and weapon otaku practically came each time some type of ordinance was introduced to him. "Technically it's a MS45 semi-automatic rifle with a clip of 50 and a lethal range of 600 meters, but there is a MS45 attached that is capable of firing up to five macro-grenades before needing to be reloaded. I hope that we do not encounter anything that would require us to use it, but with things the way they are it would be best to have a few on hand. Given the rapid escalation of the infection as well as the sudden boom in the number of Them that we've encountered it would be prudent for us to bring along as much weapons and ammo as possible.

"When we left the smuggler's warehouse we had over two thousand rounds, now we are currently have only a few hundred rounds. The warehouse should provide us with sufficient ammunition for the next five months."

Baffled, she left him to his guns and returned to the others.

* * *

><p>Looking back at the past year Kaname Chidori was amazed at how easily her classmates and peers had accepted Sousuke Sagara and his antics. From bringing an actual gun to school to setting off smoke grenades, knocking over busts, shooting others (with rubber bullets), blowing up his locker when someone had left a love note in it, to the casual destruction of Jindai's campus, his randomly appearing in the middle of the baseball diamond during PE, the unleashing of a bacteria that broke down petroleum products, and of course the "random" hijacking of their school trips no one other than her seemed to find it disturbing. Well, they had been disturbed for the hijackings, but eventually everyone had blown the incidents off.<p>

It was one thing for Takashi to accept things as the unelected leader of his group he had been quick to come to the realization that Fujimi had encountered zombies. He was headstrong and impulsive, but also loyal to his friends and companions. While they trusted him to lead they also seemed to overlook him, at least the girls did.

Over the past few days Kaname had been forced to work with Takashi as she was the unelected leader of the Jindai teens. Their roles as the group's co-leaders had forced them together. Both had made great efforts to respect the other's wishes and thus their dialogue had become a sort of friendship.

Kaname knew that Takashi had felt betrayed when his late friend Hisashi had started dating Rei before the start of the term. Though Rei had never admitted it, Takashi knew that it was because she felt that Takashi was indecisive and that Hisashi was more supportive of the fact that she had been held back at school in retaliation for her father's investigation of a politician. Takashi knew because Rei's father had secretly told him, but the fact that she hadn't trusted him and had turned to Hisashi had strained their relationship. It did not help that he had been the one to kill Hisashi to prevent his friend from turning into one of Them.

With the world going to hell as it did though it was Rei who had been defensive and hesitant while Takashi had taken the reigns. Perhaps part of it was that he was finally able to express his own anger at the unjust world, but despite his willingness to eliminate "Them" he was slowly feeling the weight of his position.

As the two co-leaders they had bonded as they informed each other of the strengths and weaknesses of their classmates and peers so that the group as a whole could survive. It had hurt leaving Issei and Mizuki behind with Miss Shizuka, and the Maresatos, but they had accepted it. Leaving the Takagi estate had been difficult too, but at least they hadn't left any of the group behind.

When the group had regrouped at the hotel they had spent part of the night together discussing their past as well as drawing up plans for the next few days. With the way things had been going no one had expected them to actually reach his neighborhood as soon as they had. It was nice that Rei had been reunited with her mother, giving the group hope that their parents might be alive where ever they were, but the harsh reality was that the world really had gone to hell. The grizzly remains at the police station and the horde of undead children at the school were stark reminders that the world had drastically changed and that perhaps civilization as they knew it was over.

"What the hell does Sousuke do?" Takashi muttered as he stripped a rifle. It was perhaps the third time he'd done so on that particular weapon, but no one was really counting.

She'd asked several times but each time he'd replied that it was classified. It was not until she'd actually been kidnapped that he'd finally told her, though she'd also had to see him take out an Arm Slave, shoot their way out of a military base, and engage a troop of Arm Slaves for her to actually believe him. "He was a soldier." It was true. He'd been a full-time soldier and had done something to become a part-time soldier, but he was still a soldier.

The look on his face told her of the pain he was enduring. She just wanted him to feel better, to find a reason to go on.

Pulling him into an embrace she offered her bosom to him, allowing him to open up. But it was he who opened her up. Her dirty blouse had seen its final day but she didn't' object. Part of her had wanted it, but part of her had also whispered that she'd been hoping that it would have been Sousuke that deflowered her.

It was not pleasurable, not the first time, but the second and third time were better as the two co-leaders learned to work together.

* * *

><p>The light rain nixed any travel plans that the survivors had made, forcing them to remain inside the safety of the warehouse's automated defenses. It was a rare chance for the survivors to relax, though for some it was a chance to reflect on the past few days.<p>

"I don't get you," the pinkette finally admitted as she stood atop the roof. "You're saying that about a year ago Sousuke transferred into Jindai – out of the blue – and no one seemed to think it weird that suddenly grenades were blowing up footlockers, people were being shot and accosted, your class trip gets hijacked twice, and no one seemed to think anything of it?"

"Yeah, that's about it," Shinji replied as he took another shot with his new rifle. In the distance some 750 meters away one of Them slumped to the side whilst the rest of Them did nothing but shamble on.

"Head shot," Kyoko pronounced as she kept track of the hits with the binoculars that Kaname had found for her.

"Damn," Kohta muttered as he searched for a target.

It was no surprise that the warehouse provided them with more than just weapons and ammo. Several sets of military fatigues in varying styles of camouflage, water-resistance, and padding, as well as mechanical and electronic components, and boxes of military rations provided the group with their basic necessities.

Despite Sagara's belief that they would run out of ammo in five months Takashi and Kaname had convinced Sagara that it would be best if the others were allowed to practice with their new weapons. The shotguns and handguns were rendered useless within the confines of the warehouse's defensive grid, but the rifles were proving to be effective and even entertaining as the teens added the silencers to their weapons.

The isolated warehousing district had been relatively untouched by the horde of zombies though the occasional animated dead still ambled up the streets giving the teens something to practice on. It was the perfect excuse for Sagara and his buddy Kurz to get everyone else out of the warehouse.

"I used to think that it was weird," Kaname stated as she watched the boys making their shots.

"Finally, someone sensible," the pinkette said as she nodded at the teal haired girl. "But once our class trip was hijacked we started to see that the world out there really isn't safe."

"Post-traumatic stress disorder or something like that," Takashi muttered. "I guess if something like that had happened to us we might have seen things that way too.

"Three blocks north, one block west – the baseball player with a bat."

Several sets of binoculars turned to spot the zombie.

"It's too far for you," Shinji stated. Thus far the teens had only been shooting zombies two blocks or so away from the warehouse and only Shinji and Kohta had managed to eliminate any zombies with one hit while Takashi and Rei had managed to hit some birds and street signs.

"Don't take the shot," Kohta cautioned. "There's a propane tank behind him."

"Shouldn't we be looking for survivors?" Saya interjected.

"We already did that," Shinji replied. "But this is a warehousing district – there aren't any homes near here. All we've seen so far are groups of Them wandering around looking for something to eat. The only thing we've seen Them chase after is a stray cat in a tree several blocks northeast of here and we took those zombies out."

"Four headshots for Kohta and three for Shinji," the ever perky Kyoko piped in.

"There was that pet store that was overrun," Kohta added. "We couldn't see for sure, but the apartment over it had its door wide open and the windows were smashed from the inside.

"Clear."

Takashi squeezed the trigger. "Damn!"

"You took out his arm," Shinji stated.

"I got it," Kohta gently squeezed the trigger.

The zombie's head flew off as the shot severed the spine. "Too low," Shinji admonished.

"It's no threat to anyone unless they walk too close to the head," the plump boy stated.

"So, what are we going to do oh fearless leaders?" Saya finally turned back to Takashi and Kaname.

"We're going to leave in the morning." Takashi sat up carefully making sure not to let the raindrops fall on his face. "The extra time we're spending here is giving Sousuke and Kurz time to strip the warehouse and prepare whatever it is that they're going to use to get over the gap in the bridge."

"Why aren't we just staying here?" Rei asked.

"Did you enjoy sleeping on the floor?" the elder Miyamoto asked. "Besides, I'm sure whomever was going at it would like a bit more privacy the next time they hook up."

"Mother!" Rei hissed, scandalized by the insinuation.

"I'm not the only one who heard it," the woman stated. "I know how you teenagers are, I was one once myself. Before I was the respectable policewoman I am today I was once the fearless leader of an all-girl gang." The woman sighed, recalling the simpler days of her youth. "I know that there were more than a few of you going at it too. I don't blame you girls – I'm sure that the young men here have done more than enough to impress you over the past few days."

"They have proven themselves to be men," Saeko added. "Though we have not been playing the damsel in distress for them to rescue – we've held our own as well as they have."

"Anyways," Kaname said as she tried to direct the conversation back to the topic at hand, "we're leaving before dark. Kurz thinks that the rain will have stopped by then and there should be just enough light for us to make it through to the bridge without turning on our lights. They've loaded the TOMCARs onto the truck but once we reach the river we'll be on foot other than the drivers of the TOMCARs and the motorbikes."

"Sagara and Kurz suggest that we get used to our weapons and the weight of our packs since we'll each be in charge of carrying our own things," Takashi added as he turned to face the group. "The TOMCARs will be carrying a generator and fuel as well as the extra ammunition, weapons, and supplies so there isn't much room for passengers."

"What about once we reach the other side of the river?" Saya interjected.

"Sousuke and Kurz will try to secure some vehicles for us, but we won't be able to use them until we're already on the other side of the river. We're not taking the regular bridge, but a bridge for the train that spans the river. Kurz and Sousuke are packing as much as they can into the TOMCARs but we'll need to carry our fair share on foot," Kaname reiterated.

None of the others objected to the plan that only the co-leaders and the pair of militants had apparently come up with. It was a sign that the others trusted Sousuke and in extension Kurz. Little was said about the still mysterious past of the scarred boy or the blond newcomer that he vouched for.

The group settled in for the night, leaving Saeko and Kurz to watch over them.

Neither said much for the first hour until Saeko was sure that the others were asleep. Most had situated themselves in the front office near the trucks leaving the rear office with its security monitors and CCTV feed alone.

"So, you and Sousuke, huh?" the blond finally said as he checked the green screens that displayed the night-vision enhanced images from the security cameras.

The proud kendoka barely stirred at the insinuation.

"What is it with the strong silent type that attracts the women? Why don't they ever like the charismatic and approachable one?" he asked as he spared her a glance. He knew that his normal routine of being energetic and friendly was wasted on the serious girl. "Though Saya may think she's the smartest one here, she's not the only one who noticed that Sousuke and I aren't your typical young men."

"How much does Kaname know?" she finally asked.

"Ah," he nodded, "you're concerned about your competition. She knows pretty much all there is to know about us and she's not likely to spill it unless she's sure that it's necessary."

"And you think that it isn't necessary now?"

He shook his head, "Not my call to make."

Her dark eyes looked him over again. Finally, "What can you tell me?"

"About what?" he replied. She shot him a glance knowing that he was being evasive. "Ask and hope that you asked a question that I can answer."

* * *

><p>Clear blue sky greeted the group of survivors as they set out from the warehouse an hour or so before dawn. The previous day's respite had greatly improved their spirits and given them the time they needed to come to terms with the chaotic mess that had claimed the lives of their friends and in some cases family.<p>

Takashi seemed to be much improved, though a few knew to attribute that change to a particular teal haired beauty. If Sousuke knew anything he had opted instead to say nothing and carried on as usual.

By the time that the sun had risen over the eastern horizon the group had reached the remains of the bridge. Aside from a few packs of undead the drive had been uneventful. A huge truck managed to fit the survivors and the TOMCARs, though the second remained covered. Only Kurz and Sousuke knew for sure what was in it, but Kaname and Saeko had their suspicions.

Little was said of the second truck, though most assumed that it was carrying weapons and supplies or perhaps a modified vehicle to help the group traverse the bridge.

The ride out to the river was uneventful as the massive trucks plowed through the small groups of undead that loitered in the streets. Several gave chase but were left behind by the steady and sturdy vehicles.

"What happened here?" Kaname asked as the group unloaded from the truck.

The once mighty bridge had stood tall over the river providing people with a means to cross the wide river. The towering structure still stood, but the wreckage that lay scattered about the river suggested that there were plenty of Them milling about.

"It looks as though the military tried to contain the infection and keep it on the other side of the river," Kurz replied. "The fighter jets managed to take out the first pillar and damaged the second, but the explosions probably scared the people off. Rioting broke out and then fighting before the supporting cables finally snapped."

Rather than following the road the trucks had followed the tracks directly to the river once the drivers had found where the tracks intersected the road.

"We'll meet you on the other side," Sousuke said to the blond.

"There are a few zombies on the bridge," Kurz added, "most of them tripped up over the spacing of the ties, but a few are still standing. Sousuke will take the lead clear the way while I stay here to keep them from pursuing us."

There were only a few of Them on the tracks, enough to keep Sousuke busy but not enough to slow him down as he out-paced the others. Shinji and Kohta followed, securing the other side of the river for the TOMCARs. With Sousuke on foot the elder Miyamoto claimed the extra motorbike, assisting Kyoko as she crossed the bridge. Rei and Saeko followed and Takashi brought up the rear.

"Where's Kurz?" Saya asked as she reached the southern shore.

"Still on the other side," Takashi replied via the walkie talkie. "He's dealing with some of Them. It seems we didn't shake Them off our trail merely put Them in the distance."

"No luck finding a vehicle." The scout's announcement startled the group as he appeared out of nowhere. "It appears that the EMP blast took out all of the vehicles I've encountered. I'm making my way back towards the tracks. I advise immediate deployment as there are a number of Them around. It appears that the destruction of the bridge kept Them from crossing at this location and I've seen over a hundred of Them around."

"Go on ahead," Kurz chimed in. "I'm going to have my hands full securing this side of the bridge but I'll catch up."

Things were going according to plan for the Mithril operatives. Though Kurz had revealed the presence of an M9 to Saeko and the survivors at the police department only Kaname suspected that they had the third generation Arm Slave with them and both young women had chosen to not reveal that information to the others. The narrow bridge would support the AS so long as it did not move too quickly but to be sure Kurz would have to take it slow. Given that the others would be on foot it would not be difficult for him to catch up to them and cover their progress while hiding behind itself with the ECS. Once they were at Sousuke's apartment they would let Tessa and Melissa handle things.

The sheer number of Them that roamed the streets though made things difficult for the survivors. While some of their number were safe inside the TOMCARs the majority of them were on foot. The station that Kaname and Sousuke used was a good ten kilometers from the river but that was the direct route. Their apartment buildings were another five kilometers beyond the station.

Glancing up at the sky Sousuke gaged the time to be roughly early afternoon. Had they not used the trucks to reach the river the group would have used much more time reaching their destination, but the unpacking of the truck had been a bit slower than they had liked. Then again, none of the others was used to physical labor and they had not wanted to reveal the M9 to the others.

Weighed down by their packs it had taken the teens close to a half hour to traverse the bridge, more than enough time for Sousuke to scout the southern riverbank and return. Even he had begun to notice the strain of carrying around so much weight, though his pack was several kilos heavier than anyone else. 'I've gotten soft while guarding Kaname,' he thought as he considered the small number of weapons and ammo he brought along with him to school. 'First I start using non-lethal rounds, next I'm carrying less weapons. How could I have allowed myself to slip like that?'

Using simple gestures he guided the survivors towards the station, rerouting them several times to avoid confrontations with large hordes of undead. Had it just been him, or at least a troop of Mithril operatives, they would have made the station in an hour. As things stood though they had reached it several hours later than he'd liked. When discussing the route with Kaname and Takashi the para-military operatives had factored the physical conditioning of the remaining survivors and the need to redirect their path, yet even with those factors the group was late in reaching the station.

Shinji had given up his spot atop Saya's TOMCAR so that Kyoko could rest. As the smallest of them she was least suited for carrying such a heavy pack. The others had put their things atop the other TOMCAR as well, leaving only their preferred weapon, a hand-to-hand weapon, and perhaps a clip or two of ammo. It was up to Kyoko to provide them with more if they needed it, and she gladly stepped up to meet that challenge.

"Go!" he ordered the others. "I'll draw their attention!"

Cocking his weapon he aimed for the largest cluster. The grenade he launched tore into the clustered zombies, sending several flying while also separating a few limbs with the debris. Three quick shots from the grenade launcher emptied the clip but cleared the street for the others. Shinji and Kohta quickly picked off any remaining threats while Saeko, Rei, Takashi, and Kiriko cleared the side streets while he reloaded the grenade launcher.

He estimated at least a hundred zombies approaching from the eastern road and the explosions were likely to draw even more out. As one of the two who knew the area and the only one wielding a weapon without a silencer and as the only one trained in military tactics he was the obvious choice to draw the zombies away from the others. "Go!"

Without further prompting he dashed up the side street. Pulling out his Berettas he began shooting out the windows of the buildings. Broken glass showered the street, drowning out the sound of the TOMCARs. Jumping atop a car he unloaded his clips at the approaching horde.

Only the sound of water spilling into the street reached his ears. Turning around he saw the source – Saeko with wrench in hand, had unleashed a torrent of water into the street creating a wall of pressurized water to hinder the zombies' pursuit of the main group.

The kendoka preferred to use her katana but knew that sometimes a shotgun was necessary. Working in concert with Sousuke she unloaded into crowds of zombies with the intent to hinder their advance and allowing Sousuke to reload. Meanwhile the mercenary took measured shots, killing the closest threats as he marched east then turned south at the next intersection. Once they reached the second intersection he turned west to note the progress of the others. The trail of corpses told him that the others had already left.

Again Saeko found a fire hydrant and after a few moments she unleashed a jet of water into the intersection, slowing any zombies that might try to go through it. They continued to head east, then south, encountering more and more of zombies as they went. By the time the pair reached their fourth intersection Saeko was forced to abandon the spent shotgun in favor of her father's katana. At the fifth intersection they were forced to turn north and had long lost track of the others.

He could feel his heart pumping even as he lightened his load with each shot. By the sixth intersection he was forced to abandon his rifle, though the last grenade cleared their path east. With every step they took the pair was going further away from the others as they were headed west and south.

The clouds overhead had slowly darkened as the sun continued its western trek. The thick storm clouds that had ruled the previous day had returned though the wind brought with it the stench of death.

Taking a curved blade from his pack he unsheathed the saber he'd borrowed from Saeko's father. While he had never picked up proper fencing, he had learned how to use the weapon after an encounter with an enemy officer back in Cambodia. The Russian officer he'd slain had a collection of sabers, though he clearly had not envisioned himself being slain with one of his prized treasures. Sagara had survived that encounter, but the cut on his jaw was a reminder that he could not rely on his skill with a knife, especially when facing a weapon with greater range and speed.

The saber's sharp edge swiftly severed a head from the shoulder of the closest zombie. While it was not as long as Saeko's katana, it also did not require him to use as much of his body. The light blade needed but a simple flick of his wrist to decapitate a zombie, allowing him to focus his energy on their flight instead of the fight. The combat knife in his other hand allowed him to parry and defend against any zombie that managed to slip past the saber's range, though he rarely had to use it as he preferred to use the guarded hilt to bash in the skull of his attackers.

Before he even realized it they were in a park, running from the horde. He knew that he was close to his limit as they had spent at least an hour running and fighting. The sun had long set behind the western horizon but the lingering light remained giving them just enough to see the edge of the woods that they were headed into.

"What now?" Saeko asked through controlled pants.

Sheathing his blade Sagara eyed the area. "Up."

She glanced at the trees. Only one appeared to be tall enough for them to hide in.

Reaching into his bag he extracted two ropes. "Tie this to our packs," he instructed her even as he tied a grappling hook onto the other line.

By the time she had tied the packs on he had already launched the hook into the tree. Testing the line he nodded in satisfaction. Grabbing the first line he tossed the end into the tree.

Katana in hand she cut down a pair of zombies that had emerged from the woods. With no other immediate threats to them she sheathed her blade.

"Climb onto my back." It was a straightforward command that ignored the pleasantries out of necessity. Still, she did not hesitate which impressed him.

Once her arms were firmly around his neck and shoulders he stabbed the tree with his blade then used it as a foothold. Slowly they ascended the tree clearing the reach of even the tallest zombies. He could feel his muscles strain yet he refused to stop until they had reached the nook in the tree some twelve meters off the ground.

A good two dozen remained beneath them, the rest of the zombies shuffled along, no longer interested in the meal that had been treed. With the last light of day fading Sagara pulled their packs into the tree though he had to fish it out of the grasp of several zombies.

The sweet oak gave them little room to move, forcing them together in the narrow nook.

"You should get out of your clothes."

As close as they were he could feel a heat rising in her body wherever they touched. Part of him was glad that she had opted to forego wearing the water resistant jacket and clothing that nearly everyone had worn the previous day.

"You'll need to help me with my bra," she said as she leaned into him. He could feel the osmosis at work as his shirt soaked in some of the excess water from hers.

He nodded, slowly reaching around her so that he could pull her shirt up enough to access her bra. Sousuke was immediately aware of tightness in his pants as his arms brushed up against her wet, bare skin. Due to their proximity he had to peel the soaked garment off of her. With his own shirt wet he knew that he needed to take it off if he wanted to stay dry and warm.

Just as he had helped her out of her shirt she now returned the favor, rewarding him with the feel of her bare breasts against his chest once the task was done. Tying their clothes to a nearby branch he leaned back, allowing the bark to bite into his skin while he fished a heat reflecting blanket out of his pack. With her assistance he draped it around them.

'In my experience the best way to stay warm when facing the elements is to find someone to get naked with and wrap yourselves up together,' Melissa's voice popped into his head. It was advice she'd given him before his last mission in Russia.

He coughed to clear his throat, "I've heard that the best way to stay warm is to get naked." Somehow that didn't sound right, or maybe it did.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Notes –

I realize that some of you may not like the ships that have sailed, and I understand that things may appear to have been rushed with Kaname/Takashi, but if you've read HSotD you'd see that given the traumatic experiences that the teens have endured they're close to breaking. If not for something interrupting them Takashi and Rei, Takashi and Shizuka, and even Takashi and Saeko could easily have set sail. Kaname's a slightly different cookie in that she's endured more than most, but she's still just a civilian and until now she's never actually lost anyone. Everyone in her class escaped the hijacking of both school trips without any injuries. The few times that she's been around people that died she has at best only a slight connection to them – until this disaster. Now she's faced the loss of nearly her entire class, plus most of the school. Those were people she saw daily.

Of the HSotD cast in this fic Rei's lost her father and boyfriend, and now Takashi's accepted that his mother is dead but he's also lost his best friend (whom he killed to prevent from coming back as a zombie). The HSotD cast has accepted that they need to kill the zombies, but they still have some reservations about it unlike Sousuke and Kurz.

I am not sorry for the direction that this fic has taken. I realize that some readers might be turned off by the lack of lemon or by certain ships, but that's how it goes sometimes.

* * *

><p>A life of relative silence was not new to Melissa Mao as life on a para-military submarine demanded that they make a minimum of noise. After two days of near radio silence though the violet eyed veteran was glad to have visitors. Camping out in the now empty apartment complex that her subordinate resided in while the world outside was going to hell might have been fun but for the fact that she was now effectively babysitting her captain and Sousuke had few things to help pass the time. Of course the biggest problem had been Tessa as the former captain of the Tuatha de Danaan dealt with the loss of her ship and crew. The former flagship of Mithril's fleet had over a hundred crew attached when it had been abandoned and ultimately self-destructed. As the Captain, Tessa took each death to heart. She knew the names of all the crew as well as their interests, families, and friends.<p>

'She's just too damned smart,' Melissa lamented as she watched the silver haired girl fiddling with the radio.

Tessa's intelligence went beyond her abilities and knowledge as a Whispered. The girl had worked hard to earn her rank and eventual commission. While some said that she'd only managed the token position the crew of the Tuatha de Danaan all believed in their Captain. The girl had a keen tactical mind as well as a heart larger than the ocean. She refused to give up on anyone under her command, often putting the entire ship at risk just to save a few of her crew. That was why it was hard for her to accept that all but three of her crew was dead.

The mysterious infection had spread through the confines of the submarine and before anyone had realized it over a third of the crew had died. Before their bodies could be returned to base the bodies somehow reanimated, spreading their lethal infection into others.

Commander Mardukas has ordered an evacuation and the destruction of TDD-1 but had only managed to send out SRT-2 along with the Captain and some supplies. Upon arriving in Tokyo and setting themselves up in Sousuke Sagara's apartment they had vigilantly monitored the radio for any further communication. Only Kurz's reports that he'd picked up Sousuke's signal had reached them though the sniper was now on his way back with several survivors.

It was good news, but alarming as well as they had not seen any signs of life in the city since their arrival. The same biohazard that had infested the Tuatha de Danaan had apparently been used in attacks on military bases throughout the world. Both women had seen first-hand the devastation that the biohazard could wreck amongst highly trained military personnel, but unleashed amongst the general public and its effects could be catastrophic.

Peeking out of the fifth floor apartment Melissa spotted the group of survivors as they made their way down the street. Having heard Kurz park his Arm Slave before rushing off to assist the others Melissa knew that they were close.

A glance at the unusually quiet Tessa told the veteran that the young Captain had collected herself enough to greet the survivors. Few of the other remaining residents dared to venture out of their apartments. Still, Melissa opted wait for the new survivors to reach Sousuke's apartment rather than going out to greet them.

Of the seventy units in the apartment complex twenty had been vacant waiting for the new tenants to move in. Of the remaining fifty apartments only a handful of the occupants had been around when the three survivors of the Tuatha de Danaan had arrived.

The timing of the attacks had rocked eastern Asia the worst as much of the world slept. Other nations had reported the attacks but everyday civilians had not paid attention to those reports even in cases when there was a base close to where they lived but by the end of the first day though the news media as well as the remaining police departments and government agencies had been overwhelmed.

Tense minutes passed before the violet eyed woman heard the sound of the door to the stairwell opening. Several sets of footsteps cautiously proceeded down the hallway, growing louder as they approached until finally a gentle knock rapped against the fortified door.

*It's Kurz.* Speaking in German the blond relied on his second tongue to assure the women inside that it was him. Hearing nothing he unlocked the door from the hallway.

A light blue beam of light flashed over his face, before Melissa lowered her gun.

Introductions were quickly made by the blond once the door was closed and locked again. She noted how he made reference to Melissa's past in the security field while Tessa was a friend of Sousuke's guardian. It was their standard cover-story – Melissa worked with Sousuke's guardian and benefactor, usually as security and as a companion for Tessa.

"Where's Sousuke?" Tessa asked once the introductions were complete.

"He ran interference," Kaname replied wirily.

"Sousuke will be alright," Kurz added. "He's a big boy now and he knows what he's doing. I know where he is but I can't retrieve him while it's dark out."

"He's right," Melissa seconded. "They're probably tired from the day, its best that we get some shut eye. Kurz can take the boys to look for Sousuke tomorrow."

"Once we get some food I'll take the boys down to guard the TOMCARs," the blond stated. "It's too crowded in here for all of us."

Melissa caught the slight flinch in the tall boy – Takashi was it? – and Kaname at Kurz's suggestion. Some might have found their reaction to be merely signs of stress but she knew better.

Once the boys were gone Melissa left it to Kyoko and Tessa to get the other girls settled before she managed to drag Kaname aside. Claiming that she needed a smoke and wanted some company she pulled the girl out onto the balcony.

"What's up?" she asked as she turned on Kaname. Pulling out a cigarette she lit it before offering the young woman one.

"What do you mean?" The whole answering a question with a question was merely the girl's way of deflecting.

The sound of the balcony door opening distracted Melissa and turned Kaname around as both focused on Kiriko. "I figured I'd join you for a smoke." The two women settled in, trapping Kaname. "Kaname doesn't strike me as a smoker, but a beer might loosen her up. It'll help us _women_ bond."

Even in the fading light of the day it was clear that Kaname was blushing.

"So you're the one Takashi was screwing," the elder Miyamoto said as she handed them each a beer.

The startling revelation nearly caused Melissa to drop her cigarette. "You and him?"

Kaname slumped in defeat, leaning against the railing for support as she took the offered beer.

"I had hoped that Rei would get her act together, but it looks like she's too much of an idiot." Kiriko chugged her warm beer even as Melissa offered the woman a cigarette. "You know that she pinky-promised him that they'd get married? Guess that's not going to happen."

"Takashi said that she didn't trust him with why she got held back," Kaname muttered before taking a swig from her can. "That's why she dated Hisashi instead."

"I did say my daughter was an idiot," the woman said as she accepted the cigarette. "I don't blame you for shacking up with him. Sure, he's not going to charge headlong into a horde of zombies, but he won't leave you behind.

"The one thing I learned from my years in the gang and as a cop is that you form your strongest bonds with those you've fought with. I guess the fact that you both were the elected leaders of your little group forced you to work together. The trauma of losing his parents, having to put down his best friend and betrayer finally was too much for him to handle."

Her own past in the military proved that strong bonds could be forged and strengthened through fighting together, yet Melissa had never had a sexual relationship with a teammate just because they'd endured so much together.

"I'm sorry," there was an edge of pain in Kaname's voice. "Sousuke's a great guy, and we've worked so hard to get along this past year – we've been through so much together. But… I see now that I really never belonged in his world – in your world" she turned to Melissa. "I think if these last few days hadn't happened I might have kept overlooking the fact that he's killer – hell, I'm kind of glad that he killed that bastard, but not everyone is like that bastard. How many people has he killed before this? How much blood is on his hands?

"I hate the fact that he was willing to abandon the rest of the class just to get me out of there; that he allowed Ono D to sacrifice him and that he turned Shinji into a killer. I may accept it, but I don't want to be with a man that can do that.

"Takashi won't head into a trap willingly just because it'll save time – he won't put the group in harm's way like Sousuke has. He's a good guy, and he's gone through a lot too. I can relate to him. I can't relate to Sousuke and I've accepted that. Part of me wishes that Sousuke could be a bit more like Takashi, but I know that it will never happen."

Fighting the urge to slap the younger woman Melissa simply finished her beer. 'Do you think he wanted to grow up the way he did?' she felt like asking Kaname. 'Do you think he wanted to watch his friends die? Or that he wanted to have his friend betray their village? Do you honestly think he wanted to bury his friends?

'You're right - you're not as strong as us. We've chosen the path we're on and we accept the consequences. We accept that our friends have died and that we may have to kill others to protect the friends that we have left.'

Melissa wanted to yell at the girl on behalf of her subordinate, but she couldn't.

"If you think that Takashi won't rush headlong into a horde of zombies to help someone, you're a fool," Kiriko interjected. "I've know that boy for most of his life and I know that he's nearly as foolhardy as Sousuke. He may not have the training or experience, but he's just as stupid at times.

"I have no problem with you being with him, but you're both young, and you both need to understand the situation that you are in. I realize that the last few days were stressful for all of you, but you need to act the part of the leader and not let your emotions get the best of you. Both of were asked to lead the others so you need to consider what you're doing not only because your actions affect your relationship with Takashi, but with the others as well."

"Kiriko is right." Now was not the time to chastise the girl for reaching her breaking point. "I know you hold Sousuke in high regard, but we break just as easily as everyone else. Hell, we've already broke. It's because we've been broken that we can endure all this shit now. Trust me, you aren't the only one to break and you probably won't be the last." Rubbing her eyes and forehead she glanced at the door.

"We'll start talking to the girls," Kiriko sighed. "I haven't seen anything that suggests who the girls have gotten close to, just that those two were bumping uglies. I know that there's another couple out there, but I'm not sure who it is."

* * *

><p>Trees were an uncommon commodity in Helmajistan so it came as no surprise that Sousuke Sagara had never expected to find himself satisfied while in a tree. It was not to say that he hadn't seen trees or even climbed them before, just that he had not thought to find himself feeling satisfied while in a tree.<p>

Despite the spring breeze staying warm was no longer an issue for Sousuke and Saeko as they huddled together beneath the heat-reflective blanket. She continued to give off access heat even as her heart-rate and breathing had long since slowed to the point where she was now unconscious.

He wasn't sure why he felt satisfied. For starters he was laying against a tree on a 35 degree incline with the tough bark digging into his back. Add in the fact that there were at least a dozen reanimated corpses craving their flesh. Ammo was not an issue as his pack contained more than sufficient ammo to eliminate the threats but discharging his firearms would attract more zombies.

There was no way around it – they were in a tough situation. Yet for much of the night he had not even considered the presence of the zombies below or taken stock of the items in their packs to plan an escape. It was not that he had accomplished his duty and seen Kaname safely into Mithril's hands because despite his duties there was much more that he needed to do.

Being with Saeko had been different than all his other tristes with the various women of the night. On those occasions he had sought their services he'd done so because he needed a release. It had been sex pure and simple, but with Saeko it had been cathartic on many levels.

Bound to the tree so as to prevent them from falling into the waiting hands of the zombies below Sousuke had managed to get some sleep over the course of the night. As a soldier he knew the value of quality rest regardless of circumstances. Rest was often best in bed or even a chair, but there were times when sleeping in a tree, in a cave, on rocks, or buried in snow was necessary. His countless tours and missions had seen to it that he was able to rest if not sleep regardless of condition. Only a full-scale battle would prevent him from sleeping, though even then he'd managed a few minutes of down-time to recharge himself mentally. Even at rest his guard was up.

"I mean you no harm." The man's voice was familiar yet Sousuke struggled to place it.

Saeko stirred, her hands moving to undo the bindings that kept them from falling out of the tree but also restricted the couple's movements.

Straining his ears Sousuke sought to place the voice as well as to locate the speaker in the darkness of the pre-dawn night.

*I had thought you might be with Kaname,* the man said in Russian. *Though I am glad that it is not she with you – we did not part on the best of terms.*

*What are you doing here Leonard?* Sousuke demanded.

"I come in peace," the silver-haired man reiterated. "I offer my assistance in fact."

The sound of a skull being fractured emphasized his point. "All I want is to be reunited with my sister. I know that the rest of your merry band had already joined up with her, but I would like to have you vouch for me to ensure my safety."

"And why would I do that?" He could hear the sound of the Whispered man's miniaturized and pilotless Arm Slaves as they dispatched the zombies.

"Kalin says that you are an honorable man." That rattled the scarred youth. Kalin had been akin to a father figure to him and been one of Mithril's top officials in the Pacific. "He says that you will not shoot an unarmed man who is surrendering to you."

"You are willing to surrender to me?"

"Only if you ensure my safety," Leonard replied. "Once the infected are cleared out I will order my units to self-destruct – agreed?

"Agreed," Saeko replied as she locked eyes with Sousuke. "On my honor I will not allow the others to harm you as you have agreed to surrender peacefully to us."

"Agreed," Sousuke seconded.

By the time that the treed couple had managed to finish dressing the first rays of light were illuminating the sky above. It took just a bit longer for Leonard's inventions to clear the park and then self-destruct. Rather than simply exploding the two meter tall constructs sprayed a corrosive mist into the air. The combined fluids melted the metallic exterior and joints before explosions rendered the remains of the units unrecognizable and unusable.

"Given the situation that we're facing it would be best if we leave his hands unbound," Saeko suggested.

Sousuke shook his head as he pulled out a set of handcuffs.

"Did you get those in the hotel?" a slight blush turned the kendoka's normally light completion a light pink to match the faux fur of the handcuffs.

"I already surrendered to you," Leonard sighed, "but if you insist."

Again the mercenary shook his head, this time as he put the cuffs back into his pack. The Glock he pulled out was one of his reserve weapons.

"You could at least introduce us," The silver-haired man smirked as he accepted the gun from the mercenary. The way he handled the weapon it was clear that he knew how to use it.

"Saeko Buujima, this is Leonard Testarossa." The begrudging introductions held a hint of tension.

"You've found yourself a real beauty," Leonard stated as he offered the violet haired girl a polite bow. "I must say, I am relieved that you are no longer in the picture where Kaname is concerned."

Sousuke eyed the other man.

"I know that she has feelings for you," he admitted as the trio cleared the park. "Ultimately it appears as though her feelings were that of a friend or perhaps sibling and not the romantic sort."

The road was clear though the remaining corpses suggested that this was the path that Leonard and his miniature Arm Slaves had come.

"It seems that she just needed to sort out what she really felt about you," Leonard added. "As young and pure as she is I doubt that she has yet to feel that close to any boy and when you came along she might have simply mistook how she was feeling for love rather than just sibling love."

Sousuke fought the urge to simply shoot the elder Testarossa as his psycho-babble soured the atmosphere even worse than the end of the world.

"Busujima strikes me as a cultured woman," Leonard remarked as he watched the kendoka decapitate a pair of zombies. "Yet she has embraced her violent side – no wonder the two of you fit together. Had civilization not collapsed and she a few years in the military she might have joined the Mithirl."

"Is that the name of the para-military group that Sousuke and Kurz are part of?" the keen kendoka asked.

"See?" Leonard shot a zombie in the head.

"And you're not just a useless intellectual," she shot back.

"I did not achieve my rank in Amalgam based on my intelligence only," he smirked.

"Another para-military group?" she asked. "So there are two opposing groups each named after a mythological metal."

"There were," Leonard replied. "Though we employed other methods to shape the world with the technology that we developed our recruiting pool was limited. Unfortunately some took things a bit too far."

Sousuke gunned down a pair of infected, clearing the street before signaling for the others to follow.

"Gauron's grudge with you went too far," Leonard stated. "Then again, you nearly killed him twice before finally succeeding the third time."

"It's hard to imagine that Sousuke had left someone alive if he had truly wanted him dead," Saeko remarked. "I've seen how capable he is as a warrior, so the man whom he failed to kill twice must have been remarkable."

Leonard chuckled at the assessment. "He was. Of course he had extremely loyal subordinates that were willing to follow his instructions even after the man had finally been killed. It is because of him that the world has gone to hell."

Sagara felt a tingling in his spine.

"That Whispered girl you saved in Russia, she was the key."

Saeko paused, "Whispered?"

"People like myself and my sister as well as Kaname," Leonard explained. "People gifted with extreme intelligence and insight into technology and science. That's why I was able to design a miniature Arm Slave that needs no pilot – of course I designed the A.I. for them as well, just as Tessa designed Dana and her A.I.

"As intelligent as we each are, we seem to have different specialties. Olga's was virology and bio-chemistry. She helped the Russians design a cure for cancer and then turned it into this" he shot a zombie. "I am still unsure how Gauron managed it, but he put his people into place before your encounter in the Helmajistan."

"That's why you want me to take you to Tessa and Kaname," Sousuke surmised. "You need other Whispered to fix what Gauron broke."

Leonard shook his head, "I told you, the world is broken. I want to join up with you because I stand a better chance of surviving with your group. Amalgam is gone, as is Mithril – why not pool our remaining resources so that we all stand a better chance of surviving."

"So It can't be fixed?" Saeko speculated.

The silver haired boy shrugged. "Give me your machete."

Little else was said the rest of the way to Sousuke's apartment as the trio resorted to simple hand signals to limit making any noise. Only the sound of their respective blades cutting down the handful of infected that they could not avoid.

"This is Sagara," the mercenary said into his walkie talkie once they were within sight of his apartment complex.

"Hey Sagara," Kurz's voice returned. "I see you're finally getting around to coming home.

"Saeko, Sousuke didn't corrupt you, did he?"

The kendoka was nonplussed by the blonde's playful banter, "We've got company." Despite the quality of the walkie talkie her tone was clear.

"It's Leonard," Sousuke stated. "He surrendered to us."

Silence accompanied the trio as they neared the apartment complex. He knew that the others were discussing their options. There would be an armed reception to say the least.

With the way clear Sousuke motioned for Saeko to take Leonard's weapons before cuffing him with the furry cuffs. "What are they going to do with him?"

"They're likely to interrogate me," Leonard stated as he tried to hide his amusement. "Siblings or not, our ideologies were backed by opposite sides."


End file.
